June 4, 1937:  The world’s first shopping carts were introduced by Sylvan Goldman at Humpty Dumpty grocery stores in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Sylvan Goldman’s creation revolutionized the way people shopped and became an integral part of the retail industry.

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National Museum of American History: “An innovation in shopping!”

Refrigerators kept food safe for longer periods, so shoppers could make less frequent  trips to the grocery store. But that required buying more food each time. Sylvan Goldman of the Standard Grocery chain in Oklahoma City enabled a change in shopping habits—and increased his sales—by introducing the first grocery carts in 1937. 

“Can you imagine wending your way through a spacious food market without having to carry a cumbersome shopping basket on your arm?”

—Advertisement in the Oklahoma City Times, June 4, 1937