The obsession with ‘Mamdani marts’ isn’t about groceries

Why the Debate Over Mamdani’s Supermarkets Goes Beyond Shopping

Earthguardiansonline.com – Every time Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveils another facet of his proposal to establish five publicly owned grocery stores across New York City, social media platforms fill with images of Boris Yeltsin. These photographs capture the former Russian leader during his American visit in 1989, just months before the Soviet Union collapsed. In the pictures, Yeltsin appears genuinely amazed by the selection of frozen foods available at Randall’s supermarket in Houston. He sampled complimentary cheese, examined the fish display, and departed carrying a bag of complimentary items.

During his subsequent flight, Yeltsin remained still, head resting in his hands, contemplating the empty shelves of Soviet food markets. His biography records his reaction: “What have they done to our poor people?” The comparison resonates today. American supermarkets represent free market achievement. Critics find it difficult to accept that government—frequently characterized as inefficient—might deliver better grocery selection than retail giants like Walmart and Costco. They envision “Mamdani marts” resembling bleak Soviet establishments offering only a single soup variety.

A Deeper Political Divide

The reaction to Mamdani’s initiative reveals something more significant than which ketchup brand public stores will stock or how much eggs will cost. At its core, this represents a fundamental disagreement regarding governmental responsibility. Supporters view government intervention as a solution for families struggling with food costs. Critics perceive a socialist-leaning mayor attempting to challenge a powerful symbol of American prosperity.

“The debate is not really about the specific mechanics of the model,” said Nevin Cohen, an associate professor at the CUNY School of Public Health. “It’s a test of competing ideas about what we expect government to provide.”

Despite these concerns, the public stores represent neither a revolutionary concept nor a threat to existing retailers. The city will employ private operators to manage locations and source products. Additionally, approximately 99 percent of New Yorkers will never visit one of these establishments. John Castimatidis’s Gristedes supermarket empire faces no danger of collapse.

The Mythic American Supermarket

The American supermarket has achieved nearly legendary status globally. With innovations ranging from the shopping cart to barcodes and an endless product selection, these stores helped America project democratic values abroad and contributed to winning the Cold War. The U.S. Information Agency spent decades distributing supermarket photographs to promote the “American way of life.” They symbolize consumer abundance.

Between 1960 and 2010, the average American supermarket expanded from 6,000 different products to 47,000. New retail formats—including Walmart supercenters, Costco warehouse clubs, and Trader Joe’s specialty locations—further increased this abundance. Food serves as both symbol and catalyst for political expression, according to Tracey Deutsch, a University of Minnesota historian specializing in food and capitalism.

“There’s a sense that grocery stores are the last bastion,” Deutsch said. “Grocery stores are places where people make their stand for the world they want.”

Stores functioned as contested spaces during both the civil rights movement and the pandemic. While supporters of private sector approaches argue that New York should facilitate Walmart expansion or subsidize Costco memberships for low-income residents, Mamdani’s political philosophy centers on using government to address daily challenges.

Following LaGuardia’s Legacy

Mamdani follows the path of his political hero, Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, a New Deal champion who constructed public parks, housing developments, and the airport bearing his name. LaGuardia overcame private industry resistance to establish city-run indoor markets during the 1930s, removing pushcart vendors from streets while lowering grocery prices. Several of these markets remain operational today.

Mamdani intends to transform the vacant LaGuardia market sites, which the city still owns, into public grocery stores. This approach reflects his belief in direct governmental action. “LaGuardia believed in a simple definition of the task of government to make people’s lives better,” Mamdani stated last month. “We are one step closer to fulfilling that fundamental responsibility.”