From:
Columbia Business School adjunct professor Stephen Zagor spoke with Marketplace reporter Carla Javier about New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s proposal to establish city-owned grocery stores. Zagor explained that while government-run groceries could theoretically address food-access gaps and affordability concerns, they also face significant operational risks, including high labor costs, thin margins, and logistical complexities. He noted that entering the grocery business requires expertise and efficiency that public entities do not typically possess, making execution a central challenge for such a policy.
