A closer look

Imagine being so terrified of a basket on wheels that a grocery store has to hire crisis actors to show you it's safe. When Sylvan Goldman introduced the first shopping cart in 1937, customers vehemently rejected it. Men thought it emasculating, and women said it reminded them too much of pushing baby strollers. To save his invention, Goldman hired attractive models to casually push the carts around the store, tricking the stubborn public into modern consumer convenience.