New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani shared details for his government-run grocery stores during a press conference. He argued that the “five city-run grocery stores, one in each borough,” will hold a “a collection of essential staples that will be predictably 30% cheaper at all of our city run grocery stores.”
These items include “all fresh produce, meat, and seafood, along with 20 other essential items like cheese, milk and bread,” he claimed.
“Once a month, our five city-run grocery stores will set prices for this core set of goods at 30% below retail prices. No exceptions, no gimmicks,” Mamdani said. “These savings will last for the entire month.”
According to a press release on the matter, the discount will “apply to all regardless of income, with prices locked in and predictable rather than fluctuating week to week as is the case at private grocers,” and is expected to cut residents’ grocery bills by 15%.
Mamdani has previously misused a quote by Ronald Reagan to justify government grocery stores. Upon announcing a city-operated grocery store in the Bronx, Mamdani told supporters, “This store, and The Peninsula as a whole, will serve as physical proof of our conviction that government can be a force for good. That government can drive change that improves people’s lives.”
“And standing here this morning, I cannot help but think of the words of our 40th president, Ronald Reagan,” he continued. “He famously said, ‘The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’ It’s a good quote, but I disagree. I think nine more terrifying words are actually, ‘I worked all day and can’t feed my family.’”
Mamdani argued that when the government works to serve the “very working people that it has left behind time and again, it can make a difference in the most pressing struggles facing our city today.”
