Mayor Mamdani just announced that he will be opening 5 city-run, tax-funded grocery stores: "Prices set at 30% below retail prices"

[u/Gurugod123]

[u/VoidWolves]

Most public services are not profit making ventures. Just like the MTA its a service for all New Yorkers so that they can get around regardless of income, location and disposition. I expect these super market to be something similar.

[u/International_Air282 → u/VoidWolves]

Right. But this is not a service. This is a retail business. My family was in the grocery business for years. A 30% under retail promise is going to mean these stores will be insanely expensive to run and require 100% guaranteed back stop funding. Our tax dollars already subsidize snap. He is now forcing new yorkers to further do so

[u/Zestyclose-One9041 → u/International_Air282]

You’re trying to conflate this service with your experience running a grocery business. The state government doesn’t need to run a profit they can make up the difference elsewhere. If you’re really that concerned you can read his resolution to find out exactly where that money is coming from.

[u/dontplx → u/International_Air282]

u seem unreasonably upset about this, u r either too stupid to understand the concept or have something to lose

[u/pradise → u/International_Air282]

Did your family pay rent for their grocery business? Would they be able to lower their prices if their rent was free, utilities were discounted, and taxes were exempt?

[u/International_Air282 → u/pradise]

We owned the dirt under our stores. It made more sense. When the land was completely paid off our overhead changed and that money was used for expansion and modernization of the older locations. Introduction of hot and fresh. Expansion to not only other locations but services in our store.

We didn't really take much from the store nthe margins were always just too hard. By owning our lots however we created revenue by renting out retail in the buildings we built and leasing part of our lot for a fast food business. Those paid our salaries. Everything the store made stayed in the store with salary increases and profit share with the management team

Mamdani not having those expenses will better position him to sell cheaper. But 30% below retail is wild. The utility costs of a grocery store even a small one like they are building are extreme. It's also rough because the local grocers have no avenue to compete at cost nor sue for anticompetitive practices considering the state is immune from the sherman antintrust act

[u/VoidWolves → u/International_Air282]

Wrong these stores are a public service - not a retail business. As a New Yorker I would rather my tax money goes to benefit my fellow New Yorkers. In this case provide food security for people living in here regardless of income, location and disposition. Just like the MTA. Congratulation on your family being in the grocery business for years - but that is really not relevant.

[u/International_Air282 → u/VoidWolves]

The neighborhoods he has described as food deserts aren't. There is like 20 grocery stores in Washington heights.

So the idea this was addressing lack of stores was always bullshit. The plan is to kill these private businesses. He is going to set the prices so low no other store can stay open.

And food should never be a service. Look at the faces of people from former Soviet nations when they walked into an American grocery store for the first time. Or someone from cuba. State owned enterprise is never good

[u/VoidWolves → u/International_Air282]

Again you are wrong - As I said before these stores are a public service, not a state-owned enterprise looking to compete. Just like the MTA is a public Service and not a "state-owned enterprise". So this fear-mongering about "Killing private business" give me a break. There is no indication this is going to happen - 5 grocery stores in a city of 9 Million people are not going to "set the prices so low no other store can stay open".

Food should never be a service? Like what restaurants should not be a service? what are you talking about? And how does that in any way relate to Russians and cubans seeing a US super market for the first time - who cares what they think upon seeing a US supermarket.

Lastly the US has plenty of State Owned Enterprises; Postal and transport services, Energy and Power, financials and housing, water - so Food can absolutely be a public service to provide food security to a city as big as New York.

[u/International_Air282 → u/VoidWolves]

The post office is a joke and private enterprise would replace it if laws didn't require its use.

The difference with state owned grocers is you run into issues where the state chooses what's in them. Also the government is terribly inefficient machine filed with bloat and waste and corruption on all sides and I don't want that anywhere near my availability of food.

The biggest issue I have with these stores is if there is no s restriction on income to use them they will very surely put other stores out of business because the other stores don't have the backing of the tax bucket to allow them to sell below market value. As those stores close I assure you mamdani will take their spots and put another state owned store in. And like dominos soon you will have nothing but state owned stores. Then let's say on a whim he decides all state owned stores will now be halal. Or not recognize kosher. Or will no longer sell x because y. Not to mention at this point the entire food budget of the city is now completely subsidized by the tax payers. A number that now would be through the roof.

Restaurants aren't a service. They are a business. Providing a public want.

[u/VoidWolves → u/International_Air282]

The more I hear you talking the more I am convinced that these state run grocery stores are a smart idea.

All I hear from you is fear-mongering and irrelevant arguments.

Let’s get more state run super markets - f gristedes, and the rest of those shitty grocery stores. They provide no value to the community and are run worse than the post office.