The simple answer is the store managers don't care that much and it costs money to have the carts fixed. Stores like Target buy nice carts and they last longer

The simple answer is the store managers don't care that much and it costs money to have the carts fixed. Stores like Target buy nice carts and they last longer, stores like Menard's buy even cheaper carts (they might even make their own, they build their own electric scooters for in-store use). I worked at a company in an adjacent business, most store chains either have their own service techs, or outsource it to a service company. These guys repair anything with wheels, from shopping carts to bakery carts to those hand carts and jack lifts. But there's only so much budget to go around and the carts get replaced every couple years anyway, it's easier to just recycle them.