First off, the headline on this post does not match the current one on the article… The current headline on the article is:
Mayor Mamdani Unveils 30% Discount — Including All Produce, All Meat and Key Pantry Staples — at New Municipal Grocery Stores
So the discount is not on everything. It’s basically on healthy foods and staples. I would assume that the margins on the rest of the items will be set to cover the costs of the discounted ones. Also, a store like this is not supposed to be a profit center.
It’s supposed to make healthy foods available to people who struggle to afford it. If the store breaks even after rent, utilities, and payroll, then I would call it a glorious success.
leaving aside the answers other people have given, if NYC can afford a world class private military with a ~$10B USD budget, they can afford to cover a minor deficit in food budget. It’s like food stamps but cuts out a layer of bureaucracy and thus lower cost.
I see no reason to assume there is a subsidy involved. Grocery stores make money. The initial outlay to build and stock the stores is going to come from city taxes, I assume. But the discounts, as my prior post said, are only on some items. The revenue from the higher margin, non-discounted items can cover the costs of the discounted ones assuming they price things right. The store only needs to break even to be a resounding success.
You understand the groceries still cost something right? Your acting like their giving them away for free. A public option doesn’t have to support billions in profit for the CEO, executives, and investors, so reducing price is much much easier if your only goal is to break even. The goal is no cost to the taxpayer, no profit for the city.
Believe it or not, everyone you disagree with is not “just dense”. You obviously have no interest in engaging in a good faith discussion since you immediately came in here and began slinging insults so you’re being blocked, goodbye.
The ‘extra’ money comes from jacking up the prices in other items in the same store, like candy and sodas. And from not spending as much money on other stuff like marketing and bonuses.
There are two sides to the profit equation: expenses and revenue.
In order for a store to make more profit, they can either increase their revenue (by raising prices, for example), or they can decrease their expenses (by laying people off, buying from cheaper suppliers, or paying executives less, for example).
So these stores are lowering prices on some items. And making it up by some combination of RAISING prices on other items, and LOWERING their costs in other areas like marketing, executive bonuses, etc.
Likely the same reason “Chinese groceries” are so cheap…
The absolute vast majority of Americans get their food from the same handful of corporations that all have insanely high markups at every step of their vertical integration to obfuscate profits.
The “Chinese groceries” have built up their own infrastructure that buys from small farmers all over the nation and transporta fresh produce more effectively than corporations. Because corporations just prioritize shelf stability and looks over flavor and nutrition.
Now, to be fair this is also true to a lesser extent for Hispanic and other “ethnic groceries” as well, but more often than not they’re plugged into the Chinese infrastructure as well, especially for produce that isn’t in season locally. It’s really the only option a small restaurant has to make it these days.
Which means they’re the safest to eat at during widespread outbreaks like were seeing now. Because all the chains use the same giant suppliers.
That was a joke answer. You probably aren’t familiar with the western internet meme culture. This was a mockery of people not wanting to answer your question.
For the city. If it was owned privately, the owner would min-max everything for more profit. Having it run by the city could mean just operating at break-even
People are giving you uninformed answers, but to be fair, you just could have searched it yourself.
The stores haven’t even opened yet. The first are expected to open by the end of 2027.
The plan says they get the real estate from the city for free or very cheap. Also subsidies for groceries in the “core basket”.
The City, through NYCEDC, will provide the foundation and deliver grocery-ready sites, cover rent and property taxes, fund initial buildout, and establish a single public brand for all N.Y.C. Groceries locations. The City will also set clear requirements for affordability, job quality, transparency, and performance.
To support this effort, the City has committed $70 million in capital funding for store construction and fit-out.
So the answer is city subsidies, payed for with tax dollars.
Where those dollars will be coming from within the city budget has not yet been announced, but seeing as they have time until end of 2027, there’s likely going to be a lot of budget-shuffling and negotiations until a budget-position is going to be revealed.
Might be in the NYC budget already, but I don’t see reporting on it, nor do I have the time to go over that.
In my opinion it’s a relatively good and easy way of redistributing money from top to bottom. You know, like schools, libraries, public pools (or free universities in better countries). Because it directly addresses a need of the poorest New Yorkers without just handing them money and implements a “food as a human right” response to corpos profiting off of societies need for groceries.
I thanked them because they actually provided an answer that no one else did, as they pointed out in the first sentence. You still don’t know what sealioning is.
And how is he able to do that?
First off, the headline on this post does not match the current one on the article… The current headline on the article is:
So the discount is not on everything. It’s basically on healthy foods and staples. I would assume that the margins on the rest of the items will be set to cover the costs of the discounted ones. Also, a store like this is not supposed to be a profit center.
It’s supposed to make healthy foods available to people who struggle to afford it. If the store breaks even after rent, utilities, and payroll, then I would call it a glorious success.
That didn’t answer my question?
Then rephrase your question, please. What exactly are you asking? Are you suggesting he doesn’t have the authority to set the prices at these stores?
I’m asking where the money is coming from to support these subsidies
leaving aside the answers other people have given, if NYC can afford a world class private military with a ~$10B USD budget, they can afford to cover a minor deficit in food budget. It’s like food stamps but cuts out a layer of bureaucracy and thus lower cost.
This is what taxes should actually be funding.
I see no reason to assume there is a subsidy involved. Grocery stores make money. The initial outlay to build and stock the stores is going to come from city taxes, I assume. But the discounts, as my prior post said, are only on some items. The revenue from the higher margin, non-discounted items can cover the costs of the discounted ones assuming they price things right. The store only needs to break even to be a resounding success.
The money has to come from somewhere. These groceries don’t just magic themselves onto the shelves…
You understand the groceries still cost something right? Your acting like their giving them away for free. A public option doesn’t have to support billions in profit for the CEO, executives, and investors, so reducing price is much much easier if your only goal is to break even. The goal is no cost to the taxpayer, no profit for the city.
Did you reply to the wrong person? That’s the exact opposite of what I’m doing.
How is this supposed to explain where the money is coming from? No one is talking about billions, I’m asking where did the 30% extra money come from?
Based on the posts in this thread you are either sealioning, or are just dense.
If the goal of the store is not to make a profit (and either break even, or have some tax dollars allocated to it), the prices go down.
Where are all your posts asking for where the NYPD’s cosplay warrior gear comes from? That certainly doesn’t magic itself into existence.
Believe it or not, everyone you disagree with is not “just dense”. You obviously have no interest in engaging in a good faith discussion since you immediately came in here and began slinging insults so you’re being blocked, goodbye.
The ‘extra’ money comes from jacking up the prices in other items in the same store, like candy and sodas. And from not spending as much money on other stuff like marketing and bonuses.
There are two sides to the profit equation: expenses and revenue.
In order for a store to make more profit, they can either increase their revenue (by raising prices, for example), or they can decrease their expenses (by laying people off, buying from cheaper suppliers, or paying executives less, for example).
So these stores are lowering prices on some items. And making it up by some combination of RAISING prices on other items, and LOWERING their costs in other areas like marketing, executive bonuses, etc.
Hope that helps.
Likely the same reason “Chinese groceries” are so cheap…
The absolute vast majority of Americans get their food from the same handful of corporations that all have insanely high markups at every step of their vertical integration to obfuscate profits.
The “Chinese groceries” have built up their own infrastructure that buys from small farmers all over the nation and transporta fresh produce more effectively than corporations. Because corporations just prioritize shelf stability and looks over flavor and nutrition.
Now, to be fair this is also true to a lesser extent for Hispanic and other “ethnic groceries” as well, but more often than not they’re plugged into the Chinese infrastructure as well, especially for produce that isn’t in season locally. It’s really the only option a small restaurant has to make it these days.
Which means they’re the safest to eat at during widespread outbreaks like were seeing now. Because all the chains use the same giant suppliers.
Probably less profit
Less profit for whom?
yes
Thanks for confirming you don’t know.
That was a joke answer. You probably aren’t familiar with the western internet meme culture. This was a mockery of people not wanting to answer your question.
For the city. If it was owned privately, the owner would min-max everything for more profit. Having it run by the city could mean just operating at break-even
So how much money was the city making before? And what were they doing with those profits?
People are giving you uninformed answers, but to be fair, you just could have searched it yourself.
The stores haven’t even opened yet. The first are expected to open by the end of 2027.
The plan says they get the real estate from the city for free or very cheap. Also subsidies for groceries in the “core basket”.
So the answer is city subsidies, payed for with tax dollars.
Where those dollars will be coming from within the city budget has not yet been announced, but seeing as they have time until end of 2027, there’s likely going to be a lot of budget-shuffling and negotiations until a budget-position is going to be revealed.
Might be in the NYC budget already, but I don’t see reporting on it, nor do I have the time to go over that.
In my opinion it’s a relatively good and easy way of redistributing money from top to bottom. You know, like schools, libraries, public pools (or free universities in better countries). Because it directly addresses a need of the poorest New Yorkers without just handing them money and implements a “food as a human right” response to corpos profiting off of societies need for groceries.
Thank you for looking into that.
You’re thanking the guy because he spent three minutes searching for the answer you were so clearly sealioning for.
Good job I guess.
I thanked them because they actually provided an answer that no one else did, as they pointed out in the first sentence. You still don’t know what sealioning is.
There are enough rich people in NYC that taxing them properly will be enough to cover the subsidies
Biggest savings are free real estate probably though