Shopping Cart: The Ego BarrierWhy customers initially hated the grocery cart

From the show

The Secret Life of Objects

Sylvan Goldman invented the shopping cart to solve heavy baskets, yet his customers refused to touch them due to fragile egos. Men felt their strength was questioned, while women saw the carts as another baby carriage to push. The device only succeeded after Goldman hired actors to perform the act of shopping, using artificial social proof to change real behavior.