Dear Wal-Mart,

I was shopping in your store yesterday afternoon. Thank you for having me and my money.

I know it must be frustrating to have illiterate people coming through your doors. It was for me as I waited, tucked into a corner, with my daughter and cart on the "entrance" side while 3 or 4 shoppers used it for an exit. Maybe it would help them if you wouldn't rely on the signs only posted on the outside of the building. Some people just can't read backwords through tinted glass.

Thank you for the colorful and exciting displays throughout your store. I was so glad that my 16-month-old had a chance to get her stretching exercises in as she tried to grab everything we passed. I am truly grateful for the seatbelt on the cart. I felt particularly relieved that shopper's luck blessed me with one that wasn't broken.

Thank you for slowly slipping away from your once-touted slogan of selling products proudly made in the USA. Now I own a beautifully carved wood bowl from the Philippenes, kitchen towels made in Singapore and baby bottles made in Thailand. My kids are growing up in a culturally diverse home!

I was surprised that you actually wanted me to share my business with another company, but I think that is very kind of you in such a "dog-eat-dog" world. You see, I purposely went to your store with my toddler to buy her first teddy bear (please no judgements on how old she got before this milestone...she is the youngest of 4 and is lucky to have one of her own at all). I searched all over the toy section only to resort to asking an employee. He was so dilligent at his work that I hated to interrupt. He pointed me to a SMALL section of plush toys, all individually boxed and not at all suitable for my daughter's age. He assured me that was all there was. So I was forced to go down the street to that mega toy store, led by a giraffe. They had a whole wall full of loose stuffed animals! You probaby can't afford to use that much space because you need it for your clearance items.

In one last attempt to locate a once popular but no longer easy to find item, I looked for small, simple banks for my kids. (If they save up enough money, they can bring it to your store and buy something!) Maybe they were put away to make room for the 5 aisles of Valentines' Day candy and stuffed gorillas with hearts. (If my husband ever buys me one of those tacky things, I'll kill him!) Maybe you just want me to try that other toy store.

I hope you won't be offended that I don't shop your store as often as I once did. My husband is glad that I don't and he's the one I'm really trying to get along with. I do appreciate the lower prices. I'm sure that I'm still getting good quality items. If anything wears out or breaks too soon, I always blame it on my kids.

Keep up the fanastic work!

Yours Truly,
A Lighter-in-the-wallet Customer