Zohran Mamdani’s chain of city-run grocery stores — one of his most notable campaign promises — will offer kitchen staples at a steep discount. With crushing overhead costs, some local businesses may struggle to compete.
The mayor said the stores will offer a 30% discount on the “most common and most critical groceries for families,” like fresh produce, meat, and dairy. New York City has allocated $70 million in the capital budget to launch the stores, which will be subsidized by municipal funding once open.
From prices to historical precedent, here are Business Insider’s biggest takeaways from the plan.
Shoppers could stand to save
Mamdani’s city-run stores — set to open by 2029 — will be located in each of the five boroughs, with the Bronx given first priority, with a planned opening at the end of 2027. The administration said its store locations will be based on “where need is highest,” and that it is using economic data to identify priority neighborhoods.
Grocery prices in US cities have jumped by 25% in the past five years, slightly outpacing overall inflation, and a 2024 Sienna Poll found that nearly 80% of New Yorkers regularly worried about affording meals.
The 30% discount Mamdani announced, which will apply regardless of household income, will include core goods such as meat, seafood, fresh produce, dairy, and pantry staples. The Mayor’s Office projected New Yorkers who are able to take advantage of the lower prices would save an average of 15% on their grocery bills, or about $90 a month.
The administration said that prices for core grocery items will be locked in monthly and updated periodically to reflect market conditions. And, similar to retailers like Trader Joe’s, the stores will launch their own private label, “NYC Groceries,” across a variety of categories.
“The savings will last for the entire month,” he said. “That means no weekly fluctuations nor sticker shock at the checkout line; not for our seniors living on fixed incomes nor for the parents who rely on a regular supply of apple slices to keep toddler tantrums at bay.”
Mamdani’s camp also hopes that, alongside offering New Yorkers cheaper groceries, the city-run stores will provide more local job opportunities. The city will ask operators to participate in a Labor Peace Agreement to provide workers with benefits and “family sustaining wages.”
City-run stores have been tried before
Mamdani’s plan will partner city-run supermarkets with private grocery store operators. The city will set requirements for design, standards, and pricing, but leave these third parties to run the stores on a daily basis. The administration is using a similar public-private partnership approach for affordable housing developments.
Still, city-run stores aren’t a fresh concept. NYC already has six markets that are overseen by the Economic Development Corporation, a quasi-public nonprofit that manages city-owned property. Because the city can offer grocers cheaper rent, the food in those stores is typically cheaper than at private retailers.
There are examples of this across America. St. Paul, a small Kansas town with just over 600 residents, has maintained a town-run store for more than a decade. City-owned stores in Kansas City and Baldwin, Florida, however, both closed due to financial challenges.
While not run by local governments, many military bases also have commissaries selling tax-free groceries and household items at a discount — thanks to federal oversight.
Local businesses are feeling skeptical
NYC is more than a year away from the opening of its first city-run store, but some local businesses are already feeling uneasy.
Private grocery stores typically have a razor-thin profit margin — between 1% and 3% — due to high overhead costs for food, rent, staff, equipment, and inflationary pressure.
Smaller businesses like bodegas, fruit stands, and convenience stores often struggle to net a profit, too. More than a dozen street food vendors told Business Insider this spring that the steep cost of food, along with a dwindling customer base, makes it challenging to earn a living. Some critics of Mamdani worry that city-run grocery stores will create unsustainable competition with these small businesses.
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