Ready or not, the holiday shopping season is upon us. Though online orders have taken a big bite out of the in-person retail experience, stores and shops will still be plenty crowded.
And few folks will even know a quiet, unassuming genius played a huge role in making shopping a little easier.
Sylvan Goldman was just like ambitious businessmen everywhere. He was always on the lookout for ways to take a good idea and make it better; then take better and make it the best.
Born into a Jewish family in Indian Territory (modern Oklahoma) in 1898, he was raised in his immigrant father’s dry goods store, where he learned the family business. Though he only stayed in school till the 8th Grade, he nevertheless had a keen imagination and a clear head for business, eventually finding his life’s calling in the grocery field.
By the late 1930s, Sylvan was approaching age 40. He and his brother had spent time in California during the Roaring ’20s. They returned to Oklahoma, eager to copy a new concept that had fascinated them in the Golden State, called the “supermarket.” They were convinced Sooner shoppers would embrace it, too.
In time, they opened one in Oklahoma City. It soon grew to five stores. By 1934, they acquired the Humpty-Dumpty grocery store chain.
But that success didn’t satisfy Sylvan. Good wasn’t good enough; he wanted to create the best possible shopping experience for his customers, many of whom were women.
Shoppers back then usually went to the store with a basket that they carried on one arm. If they put in too many items, it was unwieldy to lug around. Mothers with small children frequently had a hard time keeping the kids in line while also struggling with a bulky basket.
Inspiration came calling.
Tinkering in his spare time, Sylvan came up with something new. Drawing on the example of a folding chair, he devised a metal frame complete with wheels and a handle for pushing. Shoppers could fill it with products to their heart’s content, and moms could even place unruly little ones in it so they could focus on their buying.
Giving his invention the cumbersome label, “Basket Carriage for Self-Service Stores,” Sylvan proudly unveiled it to his customers on June 4, 1937.
And they hated it.
Men thought using the contraption made them look effeminate. Women said the thing reminded them of something many had happily put behind them. “I am done pushing my last baby carriage!” one angry shopper snapped.
Sylvan’s bright shopping idea was in danger of being shelved. The very innovation he originally thought would gain new business suddenly risked losing customers for good. He had to do something, and do it fast.
Once again, creativity came to the rescue.
Sylvan hired models, the prettiest ladies and the handsomest gentlemen he could find, paying them to simply push his new-fangled carts up and down store aisles like regular shoppers.
And it worked. Then, as now, people love to associate themselves with the smart set. Seeing good-looking people using the new gizmo persuaded other shoppers to grab one, too. And in doing so, they saved the modern shopping cart.
Sylvan’s imagination didn’t stop there. He also invented the grocery stacker, a milk bottle rack, and even a baggage cart still used at airports today. All of which made him a multi-millionaire.
He was generous with his money, supporting the arts in his native Oklahoma, the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and dozens of other charities. He was even made an honorary chief of the Pawnee Indian Tribe and inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
When he passed away in 1984 at age 86, his obituary said he was worth $200 million (nearly $750 million today). The Washington Post reported it was probably twice that.
Not bad for a guy who didn’t make it to the 9th Grade.
So, the next time you’re pushing a shopping cart (or buggy, depending on the part of the country where you live), be sure to remember Sylvan—plus all the handsome hunks and lovely ladies —who made shopping in comfort possible.
