Mamdani's plan for government-run grocery stores: Does it help?

“Did you get a slim gym?” New York City talks about groceries. “It's very expensive to shop at a local supermarket.” “Whatever you buy is expensive.” – Last year, if you like eggs, meat, chicken and fish, it's 8.9% more to be exact. If you like dairy products, it's over 5%. “We're a family of six. The trip here cost like $40. It's now like $97.” “Fruits and everything is so expensive.” Prices and complaints are why Zohran Mamdani, the frontline and Democratic candidate for New York City, made grocery prices an important part of his platform. “The prices of food are out of control. As mayor, I will create a network of city-owned grocery stores.” “Grocery stores.” “Grocery stores.” “City-owned grocery stores.” However, the proposal has attracted criticism from the private grocery industry and fellow mayoral candidates in Mamdani. “We're going to demolish our independent supermarket, Bodega. If we ask the government to start dismantling workers, we're now feeding the problems.” “Why do you subsidize the purchase of food for the rich? Why do you do that? Well, it's a socialist ideology.” A New Yorker poll showed that 66% of people support the idea of ​​a government-run grocery store. However, this idea of ​​government intervening in the grocery sector is not actually as novel as New Yorkers might think. “The government already manages many food systems. Whether your child goes to public schools, whether you have SNAP benefits, whether you shop in the military commission exchange program, the government is already involved in the food system.” “The origins of many citizens in New York have enriched cities in the world of food diversity.” Since the 1930s, city governments have used public property to rent to private grocery stores below market value. The market idea first emerged by the mayor of LaGuardia during the Great Repression, fighting high grocery prices and also cleaning the streets by forcing push carts indoors. “Currently, the city has six open markets that own or are landlords via the Economic Development Corporation of New York City. Many people don't know that. Arthur Avenue is one Essex market. VivaFrutas is a small grocery store within the Essex market. It's affordable. So we can be in this place and keep the prices a little low. My customers are mainly low-income families and people who benefit from the government.” “Shops like this can exist across the street, but can we rent from private owners?” “No, there's no way.” “Why?” Because rents are too high in this neighborhood. “We live in Chelsea. We're here.” “Why are you coming here?” “The prices are cheap.” “One of the mayoral candidates, Zohran Mamdani, suggested potentially suggesting a government-run grocery store in each borough so that prices can be kept low. Are you interested in what you think about it?” “I think it's great. Shopping at a local supermarket is very expensive. It will help many people who don't make a lot of money.” Jose Dario is from the Dominican Republic and has owned Bodegas in New York City since 1994. This precise concern has led to private companies large and small opposing the idea of ​​Mamdani. But at the scale he is currently proposing, “one for each borough, five total costs $60 million for the city,” experts like Cather say the plan is not very effective. “When we're talking about five grocery stores, it's really not enough to cut prices. I think New Yorkers access food in many ways. I don't see that level of threat for private grocery stores. It's not exactly clear how Mamdani's plans will scale up. This is an important detail to make a measurable impact. And even if they eventually expand, questions about both logistics and costs remain.