What Stores Have Motorized Shopping Carts? A Store-by-Store Guide for 2026

Wondering what stores have motorized shopping carts? Most large U.S. retail chains keep a small fleet of free motorized shopping carts near the front entrance, so if you shop at Walmart, Target, Kroger, Publix, Costco, Sam's Club, Home Depot, Lowe's, or Menards, the odds are good there is an electric cart for customers waiting just inside the door. The catch is supply. Each store keeps only a handful of these carts, so availability is never promised and it swings hard by location and time of day. This guide runs through the big chains store by store, tells you what the carts are actually called, and shows you how to ask so one is ready when you arrive.

If you run a store and want to offer these carts rather than borrow one, skip to the store-owner box at the end of the article.

Last updated June 2026. Per-store availability changes often, so treat every count below as typical, not guaranteed, and call your local store to confirm.

What stores have motorized shopping carts?

Most large U.S. retail chains stock free motorized shopping carts near the front entrance, including Walmart, Target, Kroger, Publix, Costco, Sam's Club, Home Depot, Lowe's, and Menards. Big-box stores, warehouse clubs, full-size grocery chains, and home-improvement retailers are the four store types that reliably keep them. The carts are free to use and you do not need to ask permission or show ID to take one for your trip.

Here is the honest part. A single store usually keeps somewhere between two and six of these electric carts for customers, parked at a charging dock by the entrance. That is a small number against a busy Saturday crowd, so a store can genuinely have them and still have none free when you walk in. Availability is never guaranteed, it varies by location, and the busiest hours are the worst time to count on one being open. That is why this guide hedges every per-store claim and points you to a call-ahead routine further down.

A small share of readers land here because they run a store and want to offer carts to their own customers. If that is you, the store-owner box at the end links to our buyer guide and the cart we sell.

Store-by-store availability at a glance

This snapshot shows which major chains stock motorized carts for customers, where to find them once you are inside, and the catch for each store type. Scan to your store, then read the section below it for the detail. Remember the counts are typical, not promised, and a busy store runs out.

• Walmart SupercenterYes free near entranceAmigo or Pride carts, limited units per store
• TargetYes free near entranceLimited units, ask guest service
• Kroger / Publix / Safeway / AlbertsonsYes free near entranceGrocery stores usually keep several
• Costco / Sam's ClubYes free near entranceWarehouse club, fewer units for the floor size
• Home DepotYes free near entranceFew units, claimed fast on weekends
• Lowe'sYes free near entranceFew units, ask the front desk
• MenardsYes free near entranceFew units, varies by store

Use the table of contents above to jump straight to your store. The pattern holds across almost every chain, free carts near the entrance, a small fleet, and faster turnover on weekends.

Does Walmart have motorized shopping carts and what are they called?

Yes, Walmart keeps free motorized shopping carts near the entrance of most Supercenters, parked at a charging station by the carts and registers. They are usually made by Amigo or Pride, which is why staff and longtime shoppers often call them Amigo carts. If you ask an associate for "the electric cart" or "the scooter at the front," they will know exactly what you mean.

The name confusion is worth clearing up because it is one of the most-searched questions about these carts. There is no official Walmart brand name. The units are retail electric shopping carts built by mobility manufacturers like Amigo Mobility and Pride, and the "Amigo" label stuck the way "Kleenex" stuck to tissues. People call it an Amigo cart, an electric cart, a motorized cart, or just the scooter at the front of the store. It is the same thing.

Walmart posts a few common-sense rules at most stores. One rider per cart, ride at a slow walking pace, keep it inside the store, and return it to the charging dock when you finish so it is ready for the next person. Taking a store cart out to the parking lot is discouraged because the carts are meant to stay on the floor and charged. These rules vary by store and are not federal law, so check any posted signage at your location.

Supply is the real limit at Walmart. A Supercenter is huge and draws big crowds, but it still only keeps a handful of carts, so weekend afternoons are the hardest time to find a free one. If you depend on a cart, call the store first and ask whether one is available and charged before you make the trip.

Do home-improvement stores have motorized carts for customers?

Home Depot, Lowe's, and Menards all provide free motorized carts for customers near the entrance. The wrinkle with home-improvement stores is their warehouse format. The buildings are enormous with wide aisles, but each store carries only a few electric carts relative to that floor size, so they get claimed fast on weekends and during big project seasons.

The best move at any of the three is to ask at the front. Head to the contractor desk, the returns counter, or customer service near the entrance rather than hunting the aisles, because staff know where the carts are charging and can sometimes radio to locate a free one or pull a charged unit from the dock for you.

Does Home Depot have motorized shopping carts?

Yes, most Home Depot stores keep motorized carts near the entrance for customers who need them. The count per store is small, often just two or three units for a building the size of a warehouse, so they can all be in use during busy periods. Staff at the customer service desk can sometimes radio the floor to locate a cart or bring one over from the charging area.

If a working cart being available is something you truly depend on, call your local Home Depot before you drive over and ask whether one is free and charged that day. Availability is not promised and it shifts hour to hour, so a quick phone call saves a wasted trip.

Does Lowe's have motorized shopping carts?

Yes, Lowe's stocks free motorized carts for customers near the entrance, and availability mirrors Home Depot closely, a few units per store that move quickly on weekends. The same warehouse-format caveat applies. A big building does not mean a big cart fleet.

Ask the customer service desk to help. Staff can often hold a cart for you, point you to one that is charged, or grab a fresh unit from the dock if the ones on the floor are dead. As with every store here, supply varies by location, so confirm with your specific Lowe's if you need the cart to be there.

Does Menards have electric carts for customers?

Yes, Menards provides electric carts for customers at most stores, kept near the entrance the same way Home Depot and Lowe's do, with the same limited per-store supply. Menards stores run large, so the handful of carts on hand can be spread thin on a busy day.

Because supply varies store to store, the safest approach is to call the specific Menards you plan to visit and ask whether a motorized cart is available and charged. Staff at the front can usually tell you on the spot and set one aside if you ask.

Do grocery stores and warehouse clubs have motorized carts?

Yes, most full-size grocery chains and warehouse clubs keep free motorized carts near the entrance, including Kroger, Publix, Safeway, Albertsons, H-E-B, Meijer, Costco, and Sam's Club. Grocery stores tend to be the most reliable category here because so many of their shoppers need a cart, so a full-size supermarket often keeps several units rather than just two or three.

Across the major grocery names the routine is the same. Kroger, Publix, Safeway, Albertsons, H-E-B, and Meijer all park their motorized carts by the entrance near the regular carts, free to use, no permission required. Larger and newer-format supermarkets usually keep more units than a small neighborhood store, so a big suburban location is a safer bet than a cramped older one.

Warehouse clubs are a bit different. Costco and Sam's Club both keep motorized carts, but two things affect supply. The store is membership-based, so you need to be a member or shop with one, and the buildings are very large relative to the number of carts they stock, similar to home-improvement stores. So a club may have carts and still run short on a busy weekend.

The honest hedge for this whole category is store size and age. A smaller or older-format grocery store may have just one cart or none at all, while a large modern supermarket usually has a few. When in doubt, call ahead and ask, the same advice that holds for every chain in this guide.

How do you find and reserve a motorized cart at any store?

Call the store before you go, ask customer service to set one aside, and shop at off-peak hours, because no law requires a store to keep a working motorized cart available the exact moment you arrive. A little planning is the difference between rolling through your shopping trip and standing at the entrance with nothing free. The checklist below lays out the steps in order.

• Call the store firstStep 1Ask if a motorized cart is available and charged today
• Ask staff to hold oneStep 2Customer service can often set a cart aside or bring it to the door
• Shop at off-peak hoursStep 3Weekday mornings beat weekend afternoons for cart supply
• Check the battery gaugeStep 4Pick a cart showing a full charge so it lasts your whole trip
• Report a dead or stuck cartStep 5Staff can swap it or pull another from the charging dock

It helps to understand why the planning matters. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires stores that are open to the public to provide reasonable access, and you can read the federal guidance at ADA.gov and the U.S. Access Board. What the ADA does not do is mandate that a store keep a specific number of charged, working motorized carts on hand at all times. So a store can fully comply with the law and still have every cart in use when you show up. That gap is exactly why calling ahead works.

A few practical asks make a real difference at the customer service desk. Request a cart that is fully charged so it lasts your whole trip rather than dying in the cereal aisle. Ask whether staff can bring the cart out to your car or meet you at the door if walking from the lot is hard. And if you find a cart that is dead or stuck, report it right away, because staff can swap it or pull another unit from the charging dock rather than leaving you stranded.

The same honest hedge runs through all of this. Cart availability changes daily and by location, so even a great store on a quiet Tuesday can be out of carts on a packed Saturday. Plan around the supply, do not assume it.

For store owners and facility managers who want to offer motorized carts

This section is for the smaller group of readers who run a store, a senior-living floor, or a large facility and want to offer customers a motorized cart, not borrow one. If that is you, start with our buyer guide to motorized shopping carts for stores, which walks through the full purchasing decision, capacity, fleet size, charging setup, and floor layout. Read that first. This box is only the short handoff to the cart we sell.

The cart Heavy Duty Mobility offers for this job is the EZ Shopper 8000 electric shopping cart. It is the customer-facing unit a store buys to put by its own entrance, the same kind of cart your shoppers reach for at Walmart or Kroger. It carries a 750 lb rider, runs up to 20 hours of shopping time per charge, moves at a 2.5 mph programmable forward speed so it matches a normal walking pace, and turns in a 34 inch radius for tight checkout lanes. It is made in the USA and currently priced at $3,692.88, down from a regular $4,502.25.

• 750lbMax rider capacity
• 20hrsRun time per charge
• 2.5mph programmableForward speed
• 34inTurning radius
• 9100in3Basket volume
• USAMade in

The customer-facing electric shopping cart we sell to stores

1. #1
   Best overall

   EZ Shopper 8000 Electric Shopping Cart

   EK Tech$3,692.88

   The cart a store buys to put by its own entrance, the same kind of unit shoppers reach for at Walmart or Kroger. It carries a 750 lb rider and up to 250 lb of groceries in its 9100 cubic inch basket, runs up to 20 hours of shopping time per charge, and moves at a 2.5 mph programmable forward speed so it matches a normal walking pace. The 34 inch turning radius fits tight checkout lanes, and it is made in the USA. Read our buyer guide first for the full purchasing decision, then come back to this cart.

   • Pros
   • 750 lb rider capacity plus a 250 lb, 9100 cubic inch basket for a full grocery load
   • Up to 20 hours of shopping run time per charge on dual AGM batteries
   • 2.5 mph programmable forward speed set to a safe walking pace among shoppers
   • 34 inch turning radius for tight aisles and checkout lanes, made in the USA

   • Cons
   • Built for the supermarket and retail-floor job, not heavy outdoor or industrial hauling
   • 2.5 mph top speed is deliberately slow, so it is not a fast way to move freight

   See price & details

Raphael's rule of thumb When a store owner asks me how many carts to buy, I tell them to count their busiest hour, not their average one. A supermarket that runs fine with three carts on a Tuesday morning will still leave a customer stranded at the door on a Saturday, and that stranded customer is the one who writes the review. I would rather see a store keep one more cart than it thinks it needs and rotate them on the charging dock than run lean and lose the shopper who needed it most. Size the fleet to the rush, then add one.

The EZ Shopper 8000 is the right pick when you want a single, proven, customer-facing cart. The honest tradeoff is that it is built for the supermarket and retail-floor job, not for heavy outdoor or industrial hauling, and its 2.5 mph top speed is deliberately slow because it is meant to move at a walking pace among shoppers. If you need to move freight or pull loaded carts rather than carry a rider and groceries, that is a different machine. For the broader catalog, browse electric shopping carts for retail and assisted living floors or our wider range of motorized carts for facilities.

Frequently asked questions about store motorized carts

Frequently asked questions

What are the motorized carts at Walmart called?

Walmart's motorized carts have no official store name. The units are usually built by Amigo Mobility or Pride, so staff and shoppers commonly call them Amigo carts, the same way people say Kleenex for tissues. If you ask an associate for the electric cart, the motorized cart, or just the scooter at the front of the store, they will know exactly what you mean. You will find them parked at a charging dock near the entrance of most Supercenters, free to use.

Are store motorized shopping carts free to use?

Yes. The motorized carts that stores keep near the entrance are free for any customer to use, and you do not need to ask permission, show ID, or pay a deposit to take one for your shopping trip. Stores provide them as a courtesy and an access measure. Just return the cart to its charging dock when you finish so it is ready and charged for the next shopper. The number of carts per store is small, so being free does not mean one is always available.

Do all Home Depot and Lowe's stores have motorized carts?

Most do, but not every single location, and the count per store is small. Home Depot and Lowe's both keep free motorized carts near the entrance for customers, yet their warehouse format means only a few units serve a very large floor, so they get claimed fast on weekends. Availability also varies by individual store. If you depend on a cart being there, call the specific location first and ask whether one is available and charged that day before you make the trip.

Why are there never any motorized carts available when I shop?

Because each store keeps only a small fleet, often just two to six carts, against a large crowd, and the busiest hours are when demand peaks. Weekend afternoons are the hardest time to find a free cart. To improve your odds, shop at off-peak hours like a weekday morning, call ahead to ask if a charged cart is open, and ask customer service to set one aside or bring it to the door. No store is required to have a working cart on hand the moment you arrive, so a little planning goes a long way.

Can a store refuse to let me use a motorized cart?

A store cannot refuse you access on the basis of a disability, since the Americans with Disabilities Act requires public accommodations to provide reasonable access. What the ADA does not do is force a store to keep a specific number of charged, working carts on hand at all times, so a store can comply with the law and still have every cart in use when you arrive. If a cart is genuinely unavailable, ask staff to locate one, charge one, or help you another way. Consult the ADA guidance at ada.gov for your rights as a shopper.

What weight can a store motorized shopping cart hold?

It varies by the cart model the store uses, since these are made by several manufacturers. As a reference point, the EZ Shopper 8000 that Heavy Duty Mobility sells to stores carries a 750 lb rider plus up to 250 lb in its basket. The free carts you find at most chains are similar retail-grade electric shopping carts built to carry one rider and a load of groceries at a slow walking pace. If you need a specific capacity, ask the store which cart it stocks or check the rating printed on the cart itself.

Sources

Sources & references

1. ADA.gov - Americans with Disabilities Act guidance on public accommodations and access Authority
2. U.S. Access Board - accessibility standards for retail and public spaces Authority
3. Amigo Mobility - retail electric shopping cart manufacturer Authority
4. EZ Shopper 8000 Electric Shopping Cart spec sheet - Heavy Duty Mobility
5. Heavy Duty Mobility buyer guide to motorized shopping carts for stores