Shopping carts are visible in every aisle of grocery stores across the globe. They are so ubiquitous, they’ve become the universal symbol for supermarkets on road signs and digital interfaces alike. But their rise to iconic status hides a fascinating story of invention, resistance, and evolution.The shopping cart was born in 1937 in Oklahoma, thanks to Sylvan Goldman, owner of the Humpty Dumpty supermarket chain. Watching customers limit their purchases to what they could carry in a handbasket, Goldman saw opportunity. One night, staring at a folding chair, inspiration struck: what if baskets had wheels and a frame? He cobbled together a prototype with a metal frame and two stacked wire baskets. The “folding basket carrier” was practical, but there was a catch: no one wanted to use it.Customers balked. Men thought it looked too feminine; women felt it resembled a baby carriage. So Goldman hired models to push the carts around his stores, demonstrating their use and shifting public perception. Adoption slowly grew, and competitors took notice. In 1946, an inventor named Orla Watson improved the design by introducing the nesting cart, one that slid into the next for easy storage. This unlocked mass adoption, especially as postwar supermarkets ballooned in size. Carts became not just a convenience, but a necessity.While shopping carts have seen some innovation, becoming lighter and incorporating digital tracking, their core purpose remains unchanged: helping customers buy more. All thanks to an inventor from Oklahoma who didn’t give up after the first setback and proved that sometimes, it just takes a little push to change consumer behavior.
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