Zohran Mamdani’s plan to create city-run grocery stores to help New Yorkers struggling with the cost of living is being challenged in court by supermarkets, who say they won’t be able to compete with the stores’ low prices.
The New York City mayor plans to create five municipally owned stores on city-owned property by 2029 that will offer a 30% discount on goods like meat, dairy, and fruit and vegetables.
The lawsuit – led by the National Supermarket Association and supported by other groups and private stores – says Mamdani’s policy would create an unfair business environment. It also alleges that the administration failed to conduct a “serious analysis” of how local business would be impacted by the move.
That’s not true grocery stores sell stuff like vegetables for far more expensive than they buy them.
This is of course not taking into account all the potential waste that they might have. But especially on a lot of healthy items, grocery stores are not giving great prices.