The first shopping cart was introduced on 4 June 1937, the invention of Sylvan Goldman, owner of the Piggly-Wiggly (don't you just love that name?) supermarket chain in Oklahoma City.With the assistance of Fred Young, a mechanic, Goldman constructed the first shopping cart basing his design on that of a wooden folding chair. It was built with a metal frame with added wheels and wire baskets.
Another mechanic, Arthur Kosted, developed a method to massproduce the carts by inventing an assembly line capable of forming and welding the wire.
In Australia...
Together Woolworths, Safeway and Big W stores have around 300,000 shopping trolleys in over 900 stores around Australia. Hundreds of contractors and staff ensure trolleys are available for customers. The cost of collecting, maintaining and replacing trolleys each year is over $50 million.
Approximately 5% of all trolleys are replaced each year either because they go missing, are stolen or damaged beyond repair. The average trolley costs $150 to replace, however trolleys with special features (such as child seats) can cost up to $600.
Shopping trolleys have an uncanny ability to become feral if left abandoned. One trolley from Lismore in northern New South Wales was recovered in Cairns, 1,500 kilometres away.
Another trolley from Port Augusta in South Australia was found at Cook, on the Nullabor, 870 kilometres along the Trans-Continental Railway. (Railway staff kindly sent it home!)
Another trolley from Port Augusta in South Australia was found at Cook, on the Nullabor, 870 kilometres along the Trans-Continental Railway. (Railway staff kindly sent it home!)
This information comes from The Trolley Tracker website - Trolley Tracker is a service provided by Trolley Services Australia Pty Limited. Information gathered from callers to the 24/7 FreeCall number – 1800 641 497 – is passed on to existing collection teams who collect the reported trolleys.
