The invention of the shopping cart and how it changed shopping
March 1, 2016 12:07 PM Subscribe
This collection of six Saturday Evening Post from decades past depict a significant change in grocery shopping, from the time when grocers picked and weighed all items for the shopper, to the modern "self-service" stores we know today, including the now ubiquitous (to the point of invisibility) tool that lead to this change. The shopping cart (or shopping carriage, buggy or trolley, seen here in its original form) is far from glamorous, but when he invented the combination basket and carriage, Sylvan Goldman changed how people shopped: an Oklahoma Story.
That original "combination" looked a lot like the folding chair with baskets and wheels that was his first idea (NYTimes.com), and required the two baskets to be removed from the folding frame for the contraption to be folded up. But shoppers at his markets weren't sold, so he first hired models to stand outside his Piggly Wiggly grocery stores in Oklahoma City, and when that didn't work, he hired a more diverse cast of models to pretend to shop while pushing his new-fangled carts in the stores, and finally they had traction with the shopping public.
Still, the cart wasn't perfect. The combination of two carts plus the collapsible frame meant a significant amount of dis-assembly and re-assembly to save space and then return a cart to its usable form. In 1946, Orla E. Watson of Kansas City, Mo., developed the familiar telescoping shopping carts that nestle together for compact storage. The unusual-looking rounded cart included the two-level basket, which he called a Store basket and carriage, was a significant set-up from Goldman's original design, and included a feature that has since disappeared: the power lift lower basket (more and MUCH larger images here, but some are 30+ MB - you have been warned!).
Goldman contested the patent, submitting his own design for patent in 1949, titled Nesting type store service truck. Goldman later built upon that design, with a child carrier and and pivoted partition for wire receptacles. In 1949 Goldman relinquished his rights to the new cart patent and granted them to Watson. In exchange, Goldman received licensing rights in addition to the three other licenses previously granted; Watson continued to receive royalties for each cart produced.
How It's Made: grocery carts - that's the modern metal form, but even the "advanced," award-winning all-plastic cart made by Design Continuum for Target still features the same basic idea from Sylvan Goldman's original design, plus the nesting form created by Orla Watson.
The shopping cart is such a ubiquitous image that "add to (shopping) cart" and a simplified shopping icon are commonly used in e-commerce (previously), and the various forms of destroyed carts have been cataloged (Archive.org copy of the dead site; previously). And they have been re-worked in to a myriad of forms and shapes for art and fun (Google image search).
That original "combination" looked a lot like the folding chair with baskets and wheels that was his first idea (NYTimes.com), and required the two baskets to be removed from the folding frame for the contraption to be folded up. But shoppers at his markets weren't sold, so he first hired models to stand outside his Piggly Wiggly grocery stores in Oklahoma City, and when that didn't work, he hired a more diverse cast of models to pretend to shop while pushing his new-fangled carts in the stores, and finally they had traction with the shopping public.
Still, the cart wasn't perfect. The combination of two carts plus the collapsible frame meant a significant amount of dis-assembly and re-assembly to save space and then return a cart to its usable form. In 1946, Orla E. Watson of Kansas City, Mo., developed the familiar telescoping shopping carts that nestle together for compact storage. The unusual-looking rounded cart included the two-level basket, which he called a Store basket and carriage, was a significant set-up from Goldman's original design, and included a feature that has since disappeared: the power lift lower basket (more and MUCH larger images here, but some are 30+ MB - you have been warned!).
Goldman contested the patent, submitting his own design for patent in 1949, titled Nesting type store service truck. Goldman later built upon that design, with a child carrier and and pivoted partition for wire receptacles. In 1949 Goldman relinquished his rights to the new cart patent and granted them to Watson. In exchange, Goldman received licensing rights in addition to the three other licenses previously granted; Watson continued to receive royalties for each cart produced.
How It's Made: grocery carts - that's the modern metal form, but even the "advanced," award-winning all-plastic cart made by Design Continuum for Target still features the same basic idea from Sylvan Goldman's original design, plus the nesting form created by Orla Watson.
The shopping cart is such a ubiquitous image that "add to (shopping) cart" and a simplified shopping icon are commonly used in e-commerce (previously), and the various forms of destroyed carts have been cataloged (Archive.org copy of the dead site; previously). And they have been re-worked in to a myriad of forms and shapes for art and fun (Google image search).
I imagine that might mirror the notion of "smaller, higher quality, higher price" image. You don't buy high end food in bulk (and it's not for large families, which could also get into social classes, but I won't go further down that trail), so you don't need a big cart. Alternatively, Costco offers flats for those who want to buy a ton of bulk items. Costco couldn't exist without the basic shopping cart, let alone the pallet cart.
posted by filthy light thief at 12:32 PM on March 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by filthy light thief at 12:32 PM on March 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
Yeah I love the new-again carts that look like the older ones. Much more compact and easy to move around, and I rarely need the giant single-compartment style that has been the default in the US my whole life
posted by thefoxgod at 12:33 PM on March 1, 2016 [5 favorites]
posted by thefoxgod at 12:33 PM on March 1, 2016 [5 favorites]
Another vote for the smaller double-decker carts. They're a medium between handheld baskets and the gigantic standard carts, and they're perfect for holding small but dense items like jugs of detergent or cases of canned cat food.
posted by Faint of Butt at 12:38 PM on March 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Faint of Butt at 12:38 PM on March 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
I've been ordering my groceries online lately: you build the list over the week, hit "order" Friday night, drive by the store Saturday and they wheel them out to the parking lot for you. There are some disadvantages to this to be sure but man does it free up some time and mental energy.
It's kind of interesting that we might return to the model that grocery stores originally had. I hadn't thought of it that way.
posted by selfnoise at 12:38 PM on March 1, 2016 [10 favorites]
It's kind of interesting that we might return to the model that grocery stores originally had. I hadn't thought of it that way.
posted by selfnoise at 12:38 PM on March 1, 2016 [10 favorites]
Design company IDEO undertook a shopping cart redesign for ABC's Nightline. Some interesting ideas.
posted by misterpatrick at 12:39 PM on March 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by misterpatrick at 12:39 PM on March 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
walmart neighborhood markets around here are the ones that are using the 2 basket looking carts. i love them, except the specific design walmart has gone with has me running my shins into them a bit too often.
posted by nadawi at 12:41 PM on March 1, 2016
posted by nadawi at 12:41 PM on March 1, 2016
All I want is for carts with 4 independently rotating wheels to become the norm in the U.S.
So much less unwieldy than the kind with fixed rear wheels.
Who doesn't drifting their groceries around the produce islands like a WRC driver?
Make shopping fun for the whole family!
Might even get some of those husbands into the health food store if they could pretend they were NASCAR drivers...
posted by madajb at 1:17 PM on March 1, 2016 [4 favorites]
So much less unwieldy than the kind with fixed rear wheels.
Who doesn't drifting their groceries around the produce islands like a WRC driver?
Make shopping fun for the whole family!
Might even get some of those husbands into the health food store if they could pretend they were NASCAR drivers...
posted by madajb at 1:17 PM on March 1, 2016 [4 favorites]
In Hawai‘i, they are called wagons. This is one of the small details I was interested to learn upon moving here.
posted by deadbilly at 1:26 PM on March 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by deadbilly at 1:26 PM on March 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
4 rotating wheels is a nightmare when you have 150 pounds of grocery inertia to overcome every time you want to change direction. The two fixed wheels give you a fulcrum to exert leverage over the load.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 1:26 PM on March 1, 2016 [11 favorites]
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 1:26 PM on March 1, 2016 [11 favorites]
Around here, you have your choice of:
- A handheld basket
- A small cart which is basically a regular cart shrunk by 50%
- A standard sized cart with a flip down child seat.
- A standard sized cart with a plastic kid appendage (generally car themed).
(Also known as the Urban Assault Cart or the "MOM! I WANTED THE BLUE CAR!" cart)
Also available but less common:
- An actual basket with wheels and a handle.
- Pallet-loader carts with no sides.
- Power chairs with baskets on front.
- Power chairs with full-sized carts on front (!)
- Mini kid-sized carts
- "Sorry, we don't provide any grocery conveyance, you should have brought your own hand-woven-from-native-grasses basket" (Conveniently available for purchase. At the checkout...)
You can also get several specialist carts, like the ones at home improvement stores with a ledge/notch for carrying lumber or piping.
In summary, I really should have gone into the cart business...
posted by madajb at 1:32 PM on March 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
- A handheld basket
- A small cart which is basically a regular cart shrunk by 50%
- A standard sized cart with a flip down child seat.
- A standard sized cart with a plastic kid appendage (generally car themed).
(Also known as the Urban Assault Cart or the "MOM! I WANTED THE BLUE CAR!" cart)
Also available but less common:
- An actual basket with wheels and a handle.
- Pallet-loader carts with no sides.
- Power chairs with baskets on front.
- Power chairs with full-sized carts on front (!)
- Mini kid-sized carts
- "Sorry, we don't provide any grocery conveyance, you should have brought your own hand-woven-from-native-grasses basket" (Conveniently available for purchase. At the checkout...)
You can also get several specialist carts, like the ones at home improvement stores with a ledge/notch for carrying lumber or piping.
In summary, I really should have gone into the cart business...
posted by madajb at 1:32 PM on March 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
I had the pleasure of using a shopping cart at Target that was so freaking smooth and quiet - it felt like I was gliding on air. I didn't know that a simple shopping cart could please me so much, but it was magical to say the least.
posted by littlesq at 1:34 PM on March 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by littlesq at 1:34 PM on March 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
4 rotating wheels is a nightmare when you have 150 pounds of grocery inertia to overcome every time you want to change direction. The two fixed wheels give you a fulcrum to exert leverage over the load.
But it's a lot more fun if the cart is empty and you're bored. Then you can jump on and spin down an aisle rather than just coast. Admittedly, that probably works better at Ikea than in a regular supermarket.
posted by cosmic.osmo at 1:43 PM on March 1, 2016
But it's a lot more fun if the cart is empty and you're bored. Then you can jump on and spin down an aisle rather than just coast. Admittedly, that probably works better at Ikea than in a regular supermarket.
posted by cosmic.osmo at 1:43 PM on March 1, 2016
I love sneaking in an item into someone's cart when they are scanning shelves and I am close by...
posted by Postroad at 2:03 PM on March 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Postroad at 2:03 PM on March 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
I don't care if it's four rotating wheels or two, I just want the wheels to work properly. A cart with one partially stuck wheel, or one that won't stop oscillating, is miserable.
And stores that have one like that, usually have them all like that. And go out of business soon after. Bad carts are like the death rattle of grocery stores.
posted by elizilla at 2:06 PM on March 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
And stores that have one like that, usually have them all like that. And go out of business soon after. Bad carts are like the death rattle of grocery stores.
posted by elizilla at 2:06 PM on March 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
I don't care if it's four rotating wheels or two, I just want the wheels to work properly. A cart with one partially stuck wheel, or one that won't stop oscillating, is miserable.
I still remember when Goldman died in 1984. Dave Letterman mentioned it on his show commenting that "on the way to the cemetery the hearse kept veering off to the side." Not particularly funny in my telling, but when Dave said it, complete with hand gestures, I thought it was hilarious. (Obviously, since it has stuck in my head for over 30 years.)
posted by TedW at 2:18 PM on March 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
I still remember when Goldman died in 1984. Dave Letterman mentioned it on his show commenting that "on the way to the cemetery the hearse kept veering off to the side." Not particularly funny in my telling, but when Dave said it, complete with hand gestures, I thought it was hilarious. (Obviously, since it has stuck in my head for over 30 years.)
posted by TedW at 2:18 PM on March 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
Back when I was a yung 'un they gave you a free baby with ebery purchase.
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 2:35 PM on March 1, 2016
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 2:35 PM on March 1, 2016
> from the time when grocers picked and weighed all items for the shopper
A year and a half ago my wife and I were in Ljubljana with another couple and we did some shopping at a farmer's market. My wife and the female half of the other couple were at a fruit stand, and she picked a few things up, squeezed them, etc., like you generally would in North America. I could see that the guy behind the stand was getting vexed, and after she'd picked up and put down a few things he started yelling about how she was ruining his fruit and told them to get lost. Later we were told that we were supposed to let the grocer choose.
posted by The Card Cheat at 2:38 PM on March 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
A year and a half ago my wife and I were in Ljubljana with another couple and we did some shopping at a farmer's market. My wife and the female half of the other couple were at a fruit stand, and she picked a few things up, squeezed them, etc., like you generally would in North America. I could see that the guy behind the stand was getting vexed, and after she'd picked up and put down a few things he started yelling about how she was ruining his fruit and told them to get lost. Later we were told that we were supposed to let the grocer choose.
posted by The Card Cheat at 2:38 PM on March 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
madajb: In summary, I really should have gone into the cart business...
It's never too late! You can start by making your list into a cart chart. (I just wanted to type cart chart.) And if you make it big, you can be the Sy Greenblum of carts - if you like someone's carts enough, you can buy their company! (I also imagine variations on Spatula City often.)
littlesq: I had the pleasure of using a shopping cart at Target that was so freaking smooth and quiet - it felt like I was gliding on air. I didn't know that a simple shopping cart could please me so much, but it was magical to say the least.
I know this joy, and it's one available from any new cart. I had the joy of scooting myself and a friend across a big, empty home improvement mega-store parking lot in a new home improvement-grade (read: big and sturdy) shopping cart. It was pretty fantastic.
Postroad: I love sneaking in an item into someone's cart when they are scanning shelves and I am close by...
I wanted to call this "secret shopping," but there's some other name for this.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:40 PM on March 1, 2016
It's never too late! You can start by making your list into a cart chart. (I just wanted to type cart chart.) And if you make it big, you can be the Sy Greenblum of carts - if you like someone's carts enough, you can buy their company! (I also imagine variations on Spatula City often.)
littlesq: I had the pleasure of using a shopping cart at Target that was so freaking smooth and quiet - it felt like I was gliding on air. I didn't know that a simple shopping cart could please me so much, but it was magical to say the least.
I know this joy, and it's one available from any new cart. I had the joy of scooting myself and a friend across a big, empty home improvement mega-store parking lot in a new home improvement-grade (read: big and sturdy) shopping cart. It was pretty fantastic.
Postroad: I love sneaking in an item into someone's cart when they are scanning shelves and I am close by...
I wanted to call this "secret shopping," but there's some other name for this.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:40 PM on March 1, 2016
If you find a good one, you can really build up a head of steam on one of those big carts at Ikea. Or so I've heard.
posted by The Card Cheat at 2:52 PM on March 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by The Card Cheat at 2:52 PM on March 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
Another vote for the smaller double-decker carts.
It seems to me that my local grocery store had more of these up until just recently than it does now. I can never find one when I go shopping because they're all being used. I've started grabbing them out of the return corrals out in the parking lot as a matter of course - if I can even find one there.
I can't imagine why they'd get rid of the smaller carts; they're obviously popular with the customers. And I'd guess they're less likely to be appropriated by homeless people than the big ones (although, maybe this is the store's version of humanitarianism, providing more large carts with the assumption that a certain percentage will get taken off-site).
posted by Greg_Ace at 3:00 PM on March 1, 2016
It seems to me that my local grocery store had more of these up until just recently than it does now. I can never find one when I go shopping because they're all being used. I've started grabbing them out of the return corrals out in the parking lot as a matter of course - if I can even find one there.
I can't imagine why they'd get rid of the smaller carts; they're obviously popular with the customers. And I'd guess they're less likely to be appropriated by homeless people than the big ones (although, maybe this is the store's version of humanitarianism, providing more large carts with the assumption that a certain percentage will get taken off-site).
posted by Greg_Ace at 3:00 PM on March 1, 2016
I can't remember what store it is, maybe a local (Chicago) chain? that has mini-carts with a little plastic flag on them that say "Shopper-in-training". It's creepily dystopian.
posted by tivalasvegas at 3:13 PM on March 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by tivalasvegas at 3:13 PM on March 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
I can't imagine why they'd get rid of the smaller carts;
They're more likely to get lost. I've been calling in stray carts to my local grocery stores for years (I used to just load them up and take them back when I drove a pickup and didn't walk with a cane), and the last time I called one in, they asked me, "Is it one of the small ones?" And yes, it was.
posted by Bruce H. at 3:25 PM on March 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
They're more likely to get lost. I've been calling in stray carts to my local grocery stores for years (I used to just load them up and take them back when I drove a pickup and didn't walk with a cane), and the last time I called one in, they asked me, "Is it one of the small ones?" And yes, it was.
posted by Bruce H. at 3:25 PM on March 1, 2016 [1 favorite]
Interesting. IKEA grew on the same basic idea-- give people good shopping tools and they prefer to do it themselves and save money. It would be interesting to see where that money versus time priority has been fixed over time, and where it would be today.
posted by frumiousb at 3:44 PM on March 1, 2016
posted by frumiousb at 3:44 PM on March 1, 2016
I can't remember what store it is, maybe a local (Chicago) chain? that has mini-carts with a little plastic flag on them that say "Shopper-in-training". It's creepily dystopian.
Oh yeah, those are at Jewel-Osco. I remember seeing them the first time and thinking it was a bit on the nose.
posted by HumuloneRanger at 4:48 PM on March 1, 2016
Oh yeah, those are at Jewel-Osco. I remember seeing them the first time and thinking it was a bit on the nose.
posted by HumuloneRanger at 4:48 PM on March 1, 2016
I can't remember what store it is, maybe a local (Chicago) chain? that has mini-carts with a little plastic flag on them that say "Shopper-in-training". It's creepily dystopian.
Those must be a lot of places because I don't shop at Jewel. I think Trader Joes, Marianos and/or Strack & Von Til have them. When I first saw them a few years back it creeped me out that kids are being taught to be consumers. But then I remembered back in the early 80s I played store and would have loved to have a shopping cart so...
When looking to see which chain has those mini carts I came across this article about new carts for disabled children that are too big to fit into typical carts. Interesting that they continue to evolve.
posted by Bunglegirl at 6:07 PM on March 1, 2016
Those must be a lot of places because I don't shop at Jewel. I think Trader Joes, Marianos and/or Strack & Von Til have them. When I first saw them a few years back it creeped me out that kids are being taught to be consumers. But then I remembered back in the early 80s I played store and would have loved to have a shopping cart so...
When looking to see which chain has those mini carts I came across this article about new carts for disabled children that are too big to fit into typical carts. Interesting that they continue to evolve.
posted by Bunglegirl at 6:07 PM on March 1, 2016
I love sneaking in an item into someone's cart when they are scanning shelves and I am close by...
There may be a level of hell for people who do this.
posted by BlueHorse at 6:15 PM on March 1, 2016 [3 favorites]
I can't remember what store it is, maybe a local (Chicago) chain? that has mini-carts with a little plastic flag on them that say "Shopper-in-training". It's creepily dystopian.
I briefly flirted with making little temporary covers for these to bring along shopping, with something pithy like a pirate flag on them.
posted by werkzeuger at 6:29 PM on March 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
I briefly flirted with making little temporary covers for these to bring along shopping, with something pithy like a pirate flag on them.
posted by werkzeuger at 6:29 PM on March 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
I had the pleasure of using a shopping cart at Target that was so freaking smooth and quiet - it felt like I was gliding on air. I didn't know that a simple shopping cart could please me so much, but it was magical to say the least.
Target carts are also super well-constructed and feel like they were built to last. I'm convinced that they're the carts you'd make if you were making carts and money weren't an object.
posted by Pope Guilty at 7:21 PM on March 1, 2016
Target carts are also super well-constructed and feel like they were built to last. I'm convinced that they're the carts you'd make if you were making carts and money weren't an object.
posted by Pope Guilty at 7:21 PM on March 1, 2016
Some friends of mine used to hold "The electric shopping cart races" in their warehouse back in the 90's, they later started Zap scooters.
posted by boilermonster at 11:41 PM on March 1, 2016
posted by boilermonster at 11:41 PM on March 1, 2016
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