A B&M shopper has claimed the problem with static electricity at one nearby branch is so bad it causes his little girl's hair to stand on end. Robert Evans from Penpedairheol, near Hengoed, said he and his family had the experience when they visited the discount retailer's store in Cwmbran.
And to try proving it, the 33-year-old emergency calls handler posted a photo online showing his two-year-old daughter Rosie sitting in one of the shop's trolleys with her blonde locks standing to attention. "Me and my other half Danielle go to B&M in Cwmbran a few times a month and have always had little static shocks whilst pushing the trolley around - it's the same in the Blackwood branch too," he claimed.
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"But this was the first time it had been bad enough to make Rosie's hair stand on end. Getting zapped gets on my nerves but, luckily, Rosie loves it - especially with Halloween coming up.
"She thinks it's spooky and, as a result, what's meant to be a quick pop-in to pick up a few bits and bobs turns into an hour-long visit." Indeed, the alleged 'shocking' situation at B&M has been much discussed on social media recently, with lots of customers recounting how they keep getting electric jolts from their trolleys as they walk up and down the aisles.
One woman even took to Facebook to claim she'd only use hand baskets because she hated the sensation that much. Another regular visitor to B&M at Newport's Maesglas retail park said he was forever being caught out by it.
"You're walking along minding your own business when suddenly you reach over to put something in the trolley and 'Zzzzzt' - you get this sharp little buzzing feeling in your finger tips when you touch the metal part of the cart. Sometimes, if you've managed to generate enough of a charge, it's even accompanied by a sudden snapping noise," he claimed.
"It can really wake you up when you're doing a morning shop. It gets a little bit annoying after the fifth or sixth time in the space of half an hour though."
And it's not just in south Wales that it's been happening. According to The Mirror shoppers as far away as Sheffield are claimed to be experiencing the same thing. Carol Alisson, 62, reportedly claimed to have noticed the static electricity at her local B&M store. "It’s not a pleasant shopping experience," she said. Some saw the funny side, however, with one person commenting, "With the price of electricity these days I'd be glad of any freebies."
Not normally anything to worry about, static electric shocks happen when somebody touches a conductive material such as metal or another person.
The incidents are speculated to be caused by a combination of the type of flooring in stores and the rubber wheels on trolleys. These wheels can act as insulators, gradually building up an electrostatic charge as the trolley is pushed around. That static is held in the metal body of the cart until it touches something else that's grounded - namely the person pushing it, who then gets a jolt.
The same can happen if you shuffle along some surfaces wearing rubber soled shoes. B&M has been contacted for comment.
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