Measuring Product Experience!

This is one of the best examples I have seen of a government agency measuring the ROI of the products they select to use.

The King County Environmental Purchasing Program in Seattle, WA actually tracks the counties experience with recylced products they have used in place of new products.
http://www.metrokc.gov/procure/green/rdsasph.htm

They have a form that identifies criteria that rate the experience of that product in relation to the cost savings. One of the things that seem to be missing is the longevity of the recycled product in comparison to new products.
http://www.metrokc.gov/procure/green/form.htm

Shopping Carts

Have you noticed how big shopping carts have gotten? I don't mean the web shopping carts, I mean the ones with wheels and plastic handles. The retailers have figured out that if we can't haul it to the checkout line, we may not buy it. So I have been looking at shopping carts in all the stores I have been to recently.
I still can't figure out why Kohl's shopping cart is so unlike the others and I wonder how effective it is. The Kohl's cart is more visually appealling, the childseat is much more like a stroller, but to buy items, you basically just stuff them into the back. I often don't grab one, because they look more like a stroller and I don't have stroller tots. Then, I begin shopping and run out of arms. Hmmmm -maybe I am just not their target consumer or I am comparing the wrong store model to Kohls.
Walmart, Target, and Kmart have Carts with the tiny seat for a child. Marshalls and Kohl's have the Strollers with a tiny cart design.
Now I need to go see what JcPenney and Sears have because I really can't remember. All I do know is that Kohl's is no Marshall's and I don't need a stroller, I need a cart! Shopping days are dwindling......