Making their lives a bit easier (Or never underestimate the ability of lazy people to mess things up.)

Shopping cart drop-off location, IKEA, Richmond, BC

Shopping cart drop-off location, IKEA, Richmond, BC (Detail)

Shopping cart drop-off location, IKEA, Richmond, BC (Detail)

The IKEA store in Richmond, BC offers two designs of shopping carts for customers. A grocery store-style cart designed for housewares etc. with a large basket and small rack underneath and a larger chart with a big flat platform designed to carry large flat boxes.

The two styles of IKEA shopping carts in use
(Source: http://static1.1.sqspcdn.com/static/f/742691/19210280/1341956088420/Ikea1.JPG?token=Nqcip0sSSL6ATQemewizEOYWzb0%3D)

But the two cart styles don't "play nicely together". If customers don't put away the carts by style, i.e. they alternate the basket and platform styles, the storage is very inefficient.

Short of redesigning the two cart styles so that they will nest together, this seems to be the best solution. The design of this cart drop-off area makes it impossible for customers to put the carts in the wrong place. Clever and simple.