Wrong that city run stores would be the answer. The market for that industry is far too efficient, margins are so small. Even if you run it as even (really a loss after the initial investment), it is going to be rough to truly compete
Yeah. Maybe. Thatās probably the way I lean as well.
They tax the fuck out of them.
A city run grocery store can run at no profit or even a loss which gives it a leg up on stores that are only incentivized by tax breaks and hand outs. There would be details to work out so these served their intended audiences and didnāt cater to wealthy people looking for cheaper groceries, but those are details.
Iām no grocery store finance expert, but youād think that overhead like rent and profit motives probably add a decent bit to the cost of goods sold. But, Iād imagine there are also supply chain/logistical things that bigger grocery stores do well that would be harder to replicate on a one-off (or small number of stores) basis.
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There are so many financial advantages afforded size in the business. Buying for a few stores is going to be expensive. I bought for thirty stores and we were seriously disadvantaged versus the bigger chains on pricing. Maybe suppliers will cut deals but I am not confident most will.
Most independent groceries belong to buying consortiums to help with pricing.
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Heās already said that he wonāt run them at a loss. I think that limits the tail risk of having unprofitable terrible government run companies.
Grocery stores have been government run and sometimes they do well, but I donāt think thereās some great need in New York for more grocery stores
As to why heās talking about grocery stores I think the election strategy is that people are worried about high food prices so this a promise to help lower them and maybe thatās what people are responding to.
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I think the argument is supposed to be that Mamdani is going to be a constant punching bag for Fox News the same way they always go after AOC. Fair, I suppose, but how have the past 40 years of appeasing Republicans and trying to win over Reagan Dems worked out? Also, was Cuomo really doing great things for the Democratic brand? How about Adams?
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iāve come around on the āmamdani is a disaster for the partyā. i think he probably is because the center dems and the dems that aipac own canāt help themselves but attack him and drive this wedge into the party. him existing and winning is a threat to the power that big donors have bought. i think the dems attacking him does far more damage to the party than foxnews running insane propaganda that just ends up highlighting his good policies.
Food prices might go up less in some stores than others, but they probably arenāt going down soon.
I mean thereās nothing a mayor really can do to affect food prices up or down but talking about them could help him get elected
The mayor could open grocery stores, subsidize grocery stores, increase and promote food banksā¦thereās a lot a mayor can doā¦probably more than a President.
The rhetoric that he wants Jews killed or something is so obviously bad for Jews that itās clear the Israel lobby, Evangelical Zionists, and Israel boosting politicians donāt care at all about anti-semitism.
Do you think Mamdani thinks there is a need for more grocery stores in NYC or do you think heās just inventing it as an issue to score political points?
I know that sounds like a bad faith gotcha question but I legit donāt know much about him or the situation to judge whether itās political theatre or a deeply held belief that heās trying to act on.
The question wasnāt directed at me, but I think itās hard to get great info on this. Lots of articles say that thereās a problem with food deserts. But then an AI summary says
Specific Examples:* South Bronx, Harlem, and Staten Islandās North Shore: These areas are frequently cited as struggling with food deserts.
I posted a Google Map of South Bronx showing lots of supermarkets, and I personally canāt think of an area of Harlem where youāre not 10 minutes walking from multiple options. What I missed in my previous post, though, and frankly was not aware of, is that these may exist due to subsidies and tax incentives from the NYC government. Iām not sure if thereās a way to tell which stores are benefiting from this and which arenāt.
If the government is spending money to subsidize these, then I can see a reasonable debate as to whether these dollars are better spent on these subsidies and tax incentives vs. creating some government operated stores. Iām guessing most economists would say the former is better, but I suppose a small trial of the latter couldnāt hurt.
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Sounds more like youāre arguing āthe party is a disaster for the partyā, which I do agree with.
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You posted a bunch of āconvenienceā stores and at least one fancy health food store.
Where my (grown(ish)) daughter used to live there were two little market/convenience stores nearby, including one in her building, but they were crazy expensive. They werenāt fancy - more like convenience stores. And she doesnāt drive. Whenever I have been in the area I try go with her to a regular grocery store to stock up.