Curia Ventures has set its sights on the routine removal of viruses and bacteria from the estimated 365 million shopping trolley handles worldwide. Research suggests that the average shopping trolley handle has 361 times more bacteria than a toilet door handle.
Addressing this, the South Australian company has developed the Please Swipe trolley sanitation device. This attaches directly to shopping trolley handles, and when activated, it swipes a thin layer of alcohol-free sanitiser along the length of the trolley handle, killing common viruses and bacteria.
Please Swipe has been 10 years in the making. Inventor Charlie Bourne was inspired after observing the significant proportion of high-contact surfaces in public facilities across our cities.
He showed his early prototype to investor Neil Mullard OAM and they formed Curia Ventures, engaging experienced industrial designer Andi Stevens from Aside Consultants to refine the design.
Mr Bourne says Please Swipe offers customers a simple and easy way to sanitise before they shop and reduces the environmental impacts of single-use sanitation wipes.
“While research suggests many shoppers avoid touching high-contact surfaces in public bathrooms, a single shopping trolley can pass through many hands in a day,” he says.
“Each trolley serves as a high-contact vector for bacteria and viruses, with studies showing more than half of all shopping trolley handles are contaminated with E. coli.”
Mr Bourne says Curia Ventures is committed to the development of Please Swipe on the premise that even a small improvement in trolley hygiene can create public health benefits.
“Existing methods of sanitising trolleys are either flawed or inadequate, leaving shoppers dissatisfied and at risk,” he says.
“Please Swipe is easy to use, simple to install and quick to refill making it easier for stores to enhance shopper confidence. It can be retrofitted to existing trolleys, and we also see significant potential in the manufacture of new trolleys.”
Patents and trials
Curia Venture has patents accepted in the US and China for the device, with patents pending in Australia, Europe, New Zealand, India and Japan.
In Australia, Romeo’s is currently trialling Please Swipe at its North Adelaide location and is planning a rollout across its stores. This trial will inform final design amendments ahead of commercialisation.
Mr Bourne says overall shopper feedback has been very positive, with the majority indicating they would choose to shop where Please Swipe is available.
“Many have remarked it is an idea that should have been thought of years ago and have expressed pride in Please Swipe as a South Australian invention,” he says.
Romeo’s Retail Group Director Anthony Romeo also says customer feedback has been excellent.
“It’s simple, quick and keeps handles feeling clean,” he says. “We’re currently working on a broader rollout across our stores.”
