In 1936, Sylvan Nathan Goldman, an entrepreneur and store owner from Oklahoma, realized that retail purchases were restricted to what the shopper could carry home. Working with mechanic, Fred Young, together they created a shopping trolley.
Made with a metal frame it had two wire baskets. Customers could place their hand-held baskets on the carriers and take them off again at the checkout. The trolleys became known as ‘folding basket carrier carts’ and Goldman set up a company to produce them called the ‘Folding Carrier Basket Company’.
A patent war followed in 1946, when Orla Watson of Kansas City, wanted to produce a telescoping trolley, but Goldman filed for a similar patent. In 1949, Goldman gave his patent rights and royalties to Watson but kept the ‘licensing rights’ for himself. By 1947, shopping trolleys had child seats and by 1954, colored handles and personalized store names.
However, Goldman’s trolleys did not have an easy reception from customers in the early days. Young women thought the trolleys unfashionable and young men thought they would appear weak if they used a trolley. Then came the marketing campaign. Goldman hired models of all ages and both sexes to push the trolleys around the store, pretending they were shopping. Attractive store greeters met the shoppers as they came in and encouraged them to use their carts. Trolleys increased sales for all stores that adopted them, as shoppers were better able to self-serve throughout the store and make more purchases.
Contribution to Retail History
Customers were no longer restricted to buying the amount of goods they could carry in a basket. This, and being able to wander the streets in comfort, encouraged them to buy more. The success of the trolley is also closely associated with the rise in car ownership, as bulk buying was only possible if the customer had access to a car to transport the goods home. Like the advent of refrigeration, the trolley was partly responsible for the transition to less frequent supermarket shopping occasions as customers could do a weekly shop. The supermarket itself was redesigned to accommodate the trolleys, including wider aisles and new checkout counters.