#history
Shopping Carts.
Sylvan Goldman, who in 1937 invented the shopping cart, was the owner of a grocery store in Oklahoma, USA.
He found that the women who came to Goldman’s grocery stores stopped shopping when their hand-carry baskets were full.
Goldman decided to find a solution.
With a bigger basket, his customers could buy more things. Since the basket would be too heavy to lift, Goldman put it on wheels, using a folding chair for the frame.
Like most entrepreneurs, Goldman discovered that his target market was hugely resistant to change. He studied his customers’ objections. Women said the cart reminded them of pushing a baby carriage, and men resisted because pushing a cart didn’t feel “manly enough.”
Goldman hired male and female “ringers” to shop for groceries and push the carts. He also added a greeter to offer carts to shoppers as they came into the store. It worked. The carts caught on. Goldman patented his invention, and went on to become one of Oklahoma’s multimillionaires. He spent most of his money on philanthropic activities.
Goldman extended his service to customers of other establishments by licensing the patent of his shopping cart to a company. It improved the product to the telescoping baskets we use today everywhere from supermarkets to airports.
