20 Everyday Objects Designed Completely Differently Outside the US

Arrive at a European supermarket without the right coin, and grocery shopping can begin with a small negotiation in the parking lot. Many carts are chained together by deposit locks: insert a coin or token, the chain releases, and returning the cart reconnects the lock and gives the deposit back. The system does not charge for using the cart. It gives customers a reason to return it themselves, reducing abandoned carts and the labor required to gather them. German retail-equipment maker Wanzl, whose shopping-trolley history reaches back to the early days of European self-service stores, still sells mechanical, digital, and hybrid deposit systems built around exactly that principle.