A Tough Sell to Shoppers
Some inventions provide such an obvious solution to a problem that you wonder why it took so long for someone to come up with the idea. Today, grabbing a shopping cart as you head into a store is automatic. You may not even think about it. However, in 1937, Sylvan Goldman, a grocer in Oklahoma, faced challenges when he tried to get shoppers to begin using them. He created a device that let customers carry more groceries, but shoppers wanted nothing to do with the new contraption.
Today’s Trivia Question
What did Sylvan Goldman do when shoppers refused to use his new invention - shopping carts?
Bonus points if you know what Goldman used to construct an early prototype.
| A Few More for Fun… |
What major improvement to shopping carts did Orla Watson introduce in 1946?
In many areas, grocery carts come with their own security, with wheels locking once they pass a set boundary.
| A Few More Trivia Questions Before You Go… |
Goldman recognized something retailers still struggle with today: getting us into a buying mood. With a cart, shoppers don’t worry about how much they can carry, so it makes it easier for them to buy more. Getting buyers into “shopping mode” seems simple; sometimes it’s what buyers see other shoppers doing, but other times it’s the thrill of finding something they weren’t expecting, or maybe it’s just the music in the air, but a cart always helps. Just consider how often you fill up your “online” shopping carts!
What was the new-fangled element in the very first Piggly Wiggly store when it opened in Memphis, TN, in 1916?
In the 1947 version of Miracle on 34th Street, what unusual tactic does the Macy’s Santa use that makes customers more loyal to the store?
The word “retail” ultimately derives from words associated with doing what?
Answers
Today’s question Answer: D. Hired models to push them through the store. Some thought the carts looked too much like baby carriages, and some men indicated that using a cart made them look weak. So, Goldman paid models to walk through his stores using the carts until customers were inspired to follow their lead. Bonus points if you knew that one of Goldman’s early prototypes was built from two folding chairs placed seat-to-seat, with wheels beneath and a basket on top. | |
| 01 | Answer: D. Carts that nested together. Watson’s telescoping design let one cart slide into another, dramatically reducing the space stores needed to keep them together and easily available. Makes you wonder what he’d think about cart corrals dotting parking lots! |
| 02 | Answer: C. Bosch. Robert Bosch GmbH filed the patent for a coin-deposit system for trolleys used for luggage or shopping. Put in a coin to release the trolley, and you get your money back when you return it to the designated collection point. |
| 03 | Answer: B. Costco. With its continually rotating merchandise and one-time deals, shoppers never know what they’ll find. The company itself calls this a “treasure hunt atmosphere” and even encourages shoppers to grab interesting items before they’re gone. Apparently, FOMO (fear of missing out) comes in bulk packaging, too. |
| 04 | Answer: C. Shoppers chose the items from the shelves themselves. It may seem odd to us today, but before this, customers typically gave orders to clerks who gathered the goods. Piggly Wiggly was among the very first to put shoppers in the aisles with the merchandise. What was the financial benefit? Giving shoppers the opportunity to browse created considerably more opportunities to find other items they “needed,” but which may not have been on their grocery list. |
| 05 | Answer: B. 126. Retailer Donald Dayton considered that weather issue seriously when he teamed up with architect Victor Gruen to design the Southdale Center in Edina, MN. It opened in 1956 as America’s very first weatherproof (enclosed) shopping mall. |
| 06 | Answer: C. Sends shoppers to other stores when Macy’s doesn’t stock something. In one of the more memorable moments in cinematic retail, Kris Kringle tells parents where they’ll find toys their kids want, even when that means sending them somewhere besides Macy’s. The result? One customer says she’ll do all of her shopping at Macy’s because of it. Apparently, sometimes the best sales pitch can be telling someone not to buy from you! |
| 07 | Answer: C. Cutting. The word “retail” entered English through Anglo-French words connected with cutting something up or dividing it into smaller portions. That idea eventually became selling goods in smaller quantities than more traditional wholesale. Turns out “retail” has been cutting things down since long before the first “Clearance Sale” signs. |
How did you do? Score 1 point for each correct answer and 1 point for each bonus you knew. Perfect score: 10.
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