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For a stay at home mom with two small boys, which stores I can shop are at times determined by a range of factors. Factors such as accessability, parking, helpfulness of employees, width of store aisles and of course the size and maneuverability of the shopping carts.

Like so many other American households, I do the majority of the shopping. Not sure if this is fair or not, but irrelevant in my case as it’s a fact. As so many others, I bring my children along. Which stores to shop is truly based on the factors I mentioned above and play a much larger role than some may think. For example, I have an appointment at a beauty supply store later this morning. The aisles and lack of availability of shopping carts will limit the time I am willing to spend inside the store.

I believe this is true for a majority of women in my position. If it is difficult to shop the store because the ease of maneuverability, a good number of consumers are going to avoid the store or business as much as possible, and when they do enter the store, it will be for as little time as possible. This means less money is spent, and they are less likely to purchase \”impulse buys\”. They will be in and out of the store on a mission to get the few items they need and then get out before there is a public meltdown (either by mom or children!).

Shopping carts play a big part for me in choosing where to shop. The size and maneuverability determine how in which car seats or infant carriers will be managed during the shopping experience. A cart not accomodating the car seat properly may result in simply balancing it in place versus actually securing it to the cart. This can be quite dangerous while steering and making your way around the store.

The ideal shopping cart for a small business should be light and sturdy, not heavy and bulky. It should be large enough for the items provided by the store yet easily maneuvered through the aisles without difficulty and creating frustration.

On several occassions, I have simply left a store due to frustration created by shopping carts being the wrong size for the shop I was in, or the wheels not working correctly or even aisles to cluttered for me the navigate through them to get to the items which I am most interested. I seem to avoid these stores in the future due to these bad experiences.

I understand that there is a fine line between having shopping carts the appropiate size in comparison to the needed aisle width to accomodate the type of products a store may carry. But I need a cart which is large enough for a five year old to sit in the basket along with whatever items I am purchasing. A good balance is needed for a store to provide a convenient place to shop.

It seems silly to think that the kinds of shopping carts a particular store has would keep me from shopping at the store. It is the truth, however. There is a particular large retailer whose doors I didn’t enter because I was unable to secure my infant carrier to the front of the shopping cart. It wasn’t until he could sit up on his own that I was able to start shopping at the store again. The shopping carts do have an impact on the clientele, however mundane it may seem. The best types of shopping carts I would use for my small business would be lightweight, possibly plastic, wide enough to secure an infant carrier, and light enough to not feel bulky as I navigate the stores. The best shopping cart for my small business would also take into consideration the size of the aisles they would have to navigate. The best shopping cart for my small business would be large enough to hold another child in the basket while also holding my products. And the best shopping cart for my small business would also have sturdy, freely turning wheels to make it easier to navigate aisles. The best shopping cart for my small business would not be too small or flimsy for customers to feel secure about placing their children in the front basket. Overall, the best shopping cart for my small business woult take into consideration all of the things which would make a customer linger for just a little longer in the store.

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