The shopping cart was invented in the United States by Sylvan Goldman in 1936. Goldman's design was inspired by a folding chair and was originally called the "folding basket carrier". 
Early shopping cart designs
  • Goldman's cart had two baskets on a folding frame. 
  • Orla Watson's telescoping cart could nest with other carts for compact storage. 
  • The carts were initially met with resistance from shoppers who compared them to baby strollers. 
Modern shopping carts
  • Self-guiding carts use artificial intelligence and computer vision to help shoppers. 
  • Seatbelts were added to child seats in the 1960s. 
Impact of shopping carts
  • The shopping cart's basic design hasn't changed much since Goldman's original invention. 
  • The shopping cart's convenience and carrying capacity have played an important role in the sales of self-service supermarkets. 
  • The shopping cart has changed the retail world forever