The Anatomy of a Shopping Cart

I have done some extensive research.  I have spent hours and hours observing and gathering data from all over the world and I have come to 2 very important conclusions:

1.  Larger families usually spend more money on groceries than couples and singles do,

and

2.  In order to qualify as a larger family, that generally means that the family has children, sometimes multiple children.

Yes, yes, I know...these are astounding facts that certainly amaze you!  But really, now, it just makes sense, doesn't it? 

Oh!  And one more conclusion that I came to in my studies was this:

Most shopping done by larger families is often done by the wife/mother, often accompanied by some, if not all, of her small, medium or large children.

So, my question is this:

If I, as a layperson making observations during my everyday wanderings have realized this, then

WHY DO THE GROCERY CHAINS NOT REALIZE THIS!!!!!!

I mean, really!  This is ridiculous! 

I went to a grocery store on Sunday evening.  Now, I know that Sunday evening is not really the best time to go to the grocery store to get the best pickings of things, but I had to take Elizabeth and her friends to Bible study and it was pretty far from the house, so I didn't want to go back home just to turn around to go back to pick them up, especially since I had to take the Big Blue Beast, and we all know the gas mileage on that sucker is not so good.  So, I took the little dudes with me and decided to go to the grocery store while I was waiting for the big kids to get done.  (I know what you are thinking:  Why would I volunteer to take the little dudes with me to the store again! But really, they usually aren't that difficult.)  

Anyway, we pulled up to the store (which shall remain un-named) and found a spot to park.  Then came the task of unloading what we need from the car into the shopping cart.  

This SHOULD be easy.  But it's not.  This un-named store had no shopping carts that meet the requirements, and this was not an odd occurrence!

C'mon, people!  This is all I ask for:

1.  A seat in the front for Gabriel.

2.  The plastic flippy thing for the bottom of the seat for Gabriel.

3.  Both sides of a seat belt for the seat for Gabriel.

4.  Working clasps for both sides of the seat belt for the seat for Gabriel.

5.  A non dented cargo area for Jo to sit in

and

6.  A shelf on the bottom of the cart to put the bigger stuff under the cargo space where Jo sits.

Is that really too much to ask!?!?!?

You would think that the grocery chains would realize: 

1.  If I am a mom feeding a family of 5, I am going to buy a lot of groceries.  

2.  I am probably going to bring my children with me when I buy those groceries

3.  If I can't find a shopping cart to use that will keep my kids safe and with a seat belt that at least buys me enough time to grab a box of noodles before Gabriel has figured out how to twist and contort himself so that he has one leg and one arm through the seat belt, and the rest of himself hanging out the leg hole, I will not decide to frequent that store!

and 

4.  If I can't fit all my groceries and my kids in the cart, guess which one I'm going to leave behind????  (Although it is sometimes tempting...I do love my Oreos...MMMMmmmmm....)

Anyway, I digress.  My point is, why don't grocery stores cater to the people who spend the most money there!  

and

Who is the grocery cart gnome who is stealing all the little plastic seat flaps and cutting all the seat belts?  

and

How do you lose an entire bottom shelf on a grocery cart?  Who would want it?  Where would they take it?  and What would they do with it????

And in the end, I bought less than exactly what was on my shopping list, and I spent much less money than I usually do, and I will not be going back to that store.

All for the sake of a shopping cart.