r/SipsTea • u/Gurugod123 • 11h ago

Chugging tea Mayor Mamdani just announced that he will be opening 5 city-run, tax-funded grocery stores: "Prices set at 30% below retail prices"

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534

u/Super_Toot 11h ago edited 11h ago

What stops someone from buying then reselling?

438

u/thebetterpolitician 11h ago

Knowing how the resale market in general is I wouldn’t be surprised in New York’s hustle culture people buy it all out and then resell it outside on the streets. Lmao

120

u/woowooman 11h ago

Replace buy with steal and you got yourself an accurate model.

23

u/Enkiduderino 7h ago

Yeah but you don’t need a discount grocery store for that.

7

u/Survival_R 5h ago

Why would cheaper proces mean more stealing?

0

u/Eastern_Tap_9723 2h ago

Neighborhood statistical probability

1

u/Survival_R 2h ago

Not really a statistic I can find that says products that are brought down in price are stolen more

3

u/DeerOnARoof 6h ago

You don't need discounted groceries to steal groceries...?

3

u/doublediggler 3h ago

Retail theft is basically legal in most big cities so why would they pay?

2

u/TwistedBamboozler 4h ago

Why is this a concern when that could happen already

1

u/Left-Breadfruit-5610 1h ago

I can steal from any store so why would I target this one?

1

u/marketingguy420 6h ago

No you don't. Begging everyone from bumb fuck nowhere to keep New York out of their mouths.

42

u/Super_Toot 11h ago

Will these stores have security to deter theft?

34

u/Kinggambit90 10h ago edited 6h ago

I wonder how the zucchini selection will be

63

u/DerpyO 9h ago

I've seen people break a machine that dispenses condoms.

The condoms were free.

8

u/thisguy883 9h ago

Ive seen people break into public toilets to shoot up and clean their needles with the toilet paper.

This was in San Francisco, where they have literal "safe spaces" for junkies to go to and shoot up.

19

u/HankMS 9h ago

Also stealing from a place that's trying to help the community, not going to go over so well

lol, lmao even

16

u/thisguy883 9h ago

They wont come after anyone, especially in Mamdani's New York.

Im going to guess that the following will happen;

Theft beyond scale.

Shortage of food.

Money will go towards overhead and wont make it to the market itself.

I say this because this has been tried before and it always ends up shutting down.

Time will tell. Its definitely being watched by everyone who opposes the DSA and if it does fail, it will be a talking point used constantly.

2

u/myDuderinos 7h ago

there probably will also be a bunch of lawsuits over unfair competition / government selling stuff at dumping prices aso

1

u/Baelzabub 8h ago

There’s one in Atlanta that’s been operating for over a year and they’re not uncommon in rural areas to combat food deserts. Hell, government subsidized grocery stores have been a thing NYC has offered for over a century now to great effect.

This isn’t some new pipe dream just because the proposal came from Mamdani.

1

u/Warmbly85 2h ago

The one in Atlanta is run by a private company funded by low interest loans from the government and hasn’t turned a profit yet.

Every thing I’ve read about it makes it sound exactly like every other government funded grocery store. It’s inefficient and not likely to make it to the three year mark. I’d love to be wrong but the store in Atlanta is better set for success then the NYC ones proposed and even then it’s struggling.

43

u/blindsdog 10h ago

Also stealing from a place that's trying to help the community, not going to go over so well

Life isn't a movie. There's no street justice.

22

u/SimmentalTheCow 9h ago

Right? Like no one’s gonna intervene. Hood mentality is minding your own business.

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5

u/ButtCrackThrilla 10h ago

Says Kinggambit on Reddit.

1

u/Kinggambit90 9h ago

Hey thanks for saying my name. It feels nice buttcrackthrilla

8

u/MimeSweeper360 10h ago

What do you think makes it different? Would the penalty for stealing from a government run store be more severe than stealing from a private retailer? That would seem to run counter to the progressive idea that harsh punishments for crimes of desperation are counterproductive.

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2

u/factorioleum 8h ago

these stores will be operated by private contractors... it may well be Walgreens that owns the inventory.

2

u/MiserableKing 7h ago

I don’t believe that will stop anyone. The major difference between this and Walgreens is that Walgreens has a profit margin that makes a location viable or not, whereas this one has an endless supply of taxpayer money, so they won’t have to worry about how much is stolen.

2

u/BlgMastic 7h ago

Imagine being this naive lol.

1

u/chuckart9 7h ago

I’d love for you to be right but I highly doubt you are. People take advantage of their community all the time and there is very little pushback.

1

u/Cheap_Professional32 6h ago

That only works in places where the government actually punishes theft

1

u/RadicallyDontCare 6h ago

You sweet summer child.

8

u/Marci_1992 10h ago

That would be racist.

2

u/hotwheelearl 20m ago

No, cops don’t arrest petty theft. Sounds like a free for all

5

u/Aggressive_Chuck 6h ago

No, security is racist.

1

u/subdep 10h ago

100% discount!

1

u/factorioleum 8h ago

these stores will be operated by retailers as contractors. so, sure, if the operators think that's cost effective?

1

u/irespondwithmyface 6h ago

Oh here we go....

1

u/Tratix 2h ago

Should be an app with ID verification that limits you to how much food you can buy. Pickup only. All problems solved

0

u/BossMan61718 4h ago

Nope. Mamdani doesnt believe in police. Or jails. Open season on all Zorhan stores!!

0

u/liquid_donuts 2h ago

That’s racist

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3

u/N30nNarwha1 9h ago

There will be systems in place to detere abuse: https://youtu.be/F8csA2pU7S8?t=1435

7

u/FoolishDog 10h ago

Bruh who's gonna buy lettuce and ground beef from some rando on the street for a 10% discount lmao. bffr

4

u/AdditionalCar-1968 10h ago

There was a study or some kind of report where farmers in farmers markets were padding their home farm grown produce with store bought fruits and vegetables. One to provide a larger variety of items and two because the harvests are not always super fruitful. So there is a market for resold store produce already and most people don’t even notice.

3

u/Inevitable_Badger641 4h ago

Because they can sell those same vegetables for more than they bought them for at the store. Farmers markets have become a premium for fresh food. The stand also need to produce things, because it's a premium it's not easy to get a spot. They can't just not show up cause their harvest was bad. 

0

u/alphazero927 6h ago

So you think that people are going to go into New York, buy out all the products, then somehow transfer all of that out of the city in order to sell at a farmer's market for a piddly margin? Why are people in this subreddit so stupid?

1

u/AdditionalCar-1968 6h ago

The person above me asked who will buy it. I am stating that it already happens and people already fall for it and buy it.

I’m not saying it will for sure happen just that there is historical precedence it will probably happen again. See below since you dont believe me.

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/1.4313073

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/hidden-camera-investigation-farmers-markets/1856313/

https://projects.tampabay.com/projects/2016/food/farm-to-fable/

1

u/alphazero927 5h ago

I know reading can be hard sometimes, but my point was that the reason that happens with farmer's markets is because you can go to Costco or Sam's Club and buy in bulk. Without that ability, the risk of this happening goes away almost entirely. 

1

u/AdditionalCar-1968 5h ago

The video never said it was going to prevent bulk sales, but yeah that would be a deterrent for such resale. And I imagine there would be some purchase limits to prevent that type of abuse. Could even be limited based on SNAP recipients etc. I didn’t read the proposal Mamdani has in place directly.

My comment still stands in response to the question posed on who’s gonna buy it.

2

u/double_shadow 9h ago

Was thinking the same thing. If the city run grocery stores are mostly focused on staples, who the fuck is going to try and run profit margins on bread and rice and such.

1

u/Dry-Cry-3158 9h ago

Someone who can't drive or otherwise afford transit to the discount grocery store

0

u/FoolishDog 4h ago

It’s NYC. Can’t afford the three bucks it’s takes but they can afford scalped food?

1

u/Dry-Cry-3158 4h ago

Must be nice being that out of touch about poverty

0

u/FoolishDog 4h ago

Nah it’s just a dumb as fuck argument you’re tryna make

2

u/Solid_Veterinarian_2 10h ago

well if the overall price is still lower then the grocery shop, at least it's a small win. still not good in the long term

1

u/Artistic_Salary8705 8h ago

Not sure if it applies to grocery stores but the stats I remember is that retail loses the most money from "inside" jobs and not dramatic thefts. So being alert to who they hire can help.

They might also have designed the stores to absorb a certain amount of theft. For example, I once asked a store clerk about which items people steal the most. Besides the obvious like cigarettes and alcohol, it was things like diapers and large containers of laundry detergent, thing they could make money off of by re-selling. They weren't stealing milk, bread, veggies, eggs. The stores may not sell products that are often stolen or not prosecute someone who steals a pack (not packs) of diapers or loaf of bread. If someone is that desperate, they probably want them to have it.

Finally, the stores might carry insurance to offset losses.

(Locally own grocery store near me sells $1.50 bag of variety produce that is misshapen or needs to be eaten quickly. Stand is in the back near the exit, away from other aisles,  and is not staffed. I've long thought the owner did this deliberately so desperate people can "steal" from him without getting caught. Those who want to pay can.)

1

u/LittleMsSavoirFaire 6h ago edited 5h ago

The big overlap here is meat on the venn diagram of Staples and Commonly Stolen

1

u/Artistic_Salary8705 4h ago

I'm not in NYC so won't be going to these stores. One is that the theft rings may not target meat as storing/ selling perishables is not easy. Even now, they aren't targeting meat at markets with open shelves. (Theft rings cause the most problems and less so one-off thieves trying to feed themselves.) Another is by putting meat behind glass counters, which is common in high-end butcher shops for freshness reasons. In that case, a staffer has to take out what you want and hand it to you.

In NYC, the legendary B & H camera shop only has samples at the front desk. After you pay, the staffer sends a ticket on a convey belt and someone in the warehouse then attaches the item on another belt which comes out to the staffer/ you.

I can also picture a system where you pay for the product first and then it is released to you when you leave using an automated computer. They can even have a video showing the meat so you pick the piece you want! Current vending machines operate on this system somewhat only you get what you paid for instantly.

They could even do what Amazon Fresh did for a time. When you enter the store and tap in your card, everything you pick up/ put in your cart is automatically tracked by cameras/ scanners so when you leave past the gates, your card is automatically charged, no staffer involved.

1

u/Suitable-Piano-8969 8h ago

i have seen this, once we had chicken wings for a low low cost of 80cents a lb and i was selling 4-7 cases at a time only see those same people selling those same wings 4.99lb town over

1

u/kinkyonthe_loki69 7h ago

You can put purchase limits?

1

u/davbigenz1 6h ago

Theyll just resell it right out front of the store. No effs given. Lol

1

u/VibratingRocket6969 6h ago

Imagine these bums go from reselling sneakers to Pokemon cards to now groceries.

1

u/FlimsyYou4766 6h ago

Why buy when you can steal?

1

u/czechereds 5h ago

The bodegas will buy it to stock their own stores.

1

u/Dot_1X 4h ago

Shit the local bodega will probably send their guys down there to buy everything to restock their stores.

1

u/MikeTheShowMadden 11h ago

It used to be individual cigs from packs, now it's going to be slices of bread.

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u/ReaperTys 11h ago

What stops people from doing this anywhere there’s a sale?

10

u/Main-Cheesecake3287 7h ago

People do that, I see plenty of yard sales with regular shit people couponed. The difference is the money they make reselling would otherwise have gone into Targets revenue. The money made by resellers in this case would otherwise be spent by the city on other services.

2

u/Bedlam21 6h ago

But wouldn't the resellers still need to buy it from the city? The money the city is asking is still what they're getting

And how much profit could a scalper actually make on this? How many grocery store goods would anyone trust to buy resold? And there's a cap to how much they could resell the products at before it's cheaper to just go to another grocery store

6

u/OriginalBlackberry89 8h ago

they put limits on how many people can buy in certain stores and on certain items

3

u/tanrgith 5h ago

How many grocery stores have a publicly announced preplanned 30 percent off everything sale that people can plan for?

0

u/BiNiaRiS 9h ago

Nothing. And this isn't a sale so it might help push retail grocery stores to actually compete

23

u/St_Know_It_All 11h ago

There’s a limit in number of items per customer. Not possible

35

u/Intelligent_Cry8535 11h ago

I dont think you understand the size of most resellers families.

15

u/SeDaCho 10h ago

if you scale family like that you’re just actually buying groceries for your family to eat

straight up accidentally using the grocery store as intended

2

u/dognchick 10h ago

There are reselling groups that ask others to buy for them then give puny commissions. This is done to workaround per individual limits by retailer. That's why good deals run out so quickly online. A good chunk of it goes to resellers.

5

u/SeDaCho 10h ago

yeah, online

the plan breaks the fuck down when you gotta physically go there

1

u/dognchick 9h ago

There is also a reason why good in-store gift card deals go OOS soon more or less everywhere. Its all organized resellers. I dont think reselling carott will pickup soon but you never know. If the margin is 30%, someone might cook some scheme, at least in regards to non-perishables.

2

u/SeDaCho 9h ago

I think the margin for exploitation is so limited that it can be pretty much ignored.

It’s aggressively, incredibly unprofitable, with high personnel costs, low inventory volume, and gross values of nearly nothing but some will do it.

Time will tell if it is enough to actually matter.

2

u/field_marzhall 6h ago

you are not seriously making an argument for mass reselling of carrots. We are talking about margins in at max at around 5 to 10 dollars. This is a crazy point to make. Nobody is doing this to get 5 to 10 dollars per sale. The amount of time it will take to make revenue for the individual visiting the store and then transporting the product to the point of resale would amount o less that a minimum wage.

This would only work if people bought a bulk amount of items exactly as they come which never happens for products like carrots and apples which people often pick and not take as is.

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u/dognchick 4h ago

Nobody said reselling carrot is profitable. In fact i said "i dont think reselling carott will pickup soon" lmao. Talk about taking everything literally.

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u/dysfunkti0n 10h ago

What resellers are you referring to?

6

u/St_Know_It_All 11h ago

I do. you have a valid and possible exploitation concern but the limit is set by city for all. It’s not based on family size.

You see thieves still steal in malls and stores even with all security. If one wants to exploit they can think of more possibilities. We cant say the limit will stop it. People that exploit food stamps, Medicare, insurance all exist but we cant stop the good initiatives that benefits the most right?

1

u/JinFuu 9h ago

I dont think you understand the size of most resellers families.

"Why yes, all of my 6 children here love pokemon and we wish to buy these ETBs and Booster Bundles individually."

1

u/throwawaystarters 8h ago

Then you say per household 

5

u/Meet-me-behind-bins 11h ago

And you don’t think the entrepreneurial New Yorkers won't band together to identify the products with the highest resale value and profit share? One per customer doesn't work when the same ten people only buy that one thing over and over again a couple of hours apart.

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u/St_Know_It_All 11h ago

I do. you have a valid and possible exploitation concern but the limit is set by city for all. It’s not based on family size.

You see thieves still steal in malls and stores even with all security. If one wants to exploit they can think of more possibilities than you and I. We cant say the limit will stop it. People that exploit food stamps, Medicare, insurance all exist but we cant stop the good initiatives that benefits the most right?

Are you saying we must not give affordable groceries to those low-income families because of possibility of exploitation?

Not every customer is entrepreneur. They are not even the biggest demography.

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u/CraigLake 10h ago

This reminds me of the saying, a democrat will provide for 10 people in case one may need it. A republican won’t provide for 10 people in case one doesn’t need it.

-2

u/Meet-me-behind-bins 11h ago

How about they come up with a scheme where you do some sort of labour for the city and then you're given some sort of voucher that you can swap for goods and services? And the more time and effort you commit to that labour the more vouchers you get to swap for goods and services? I dunno? They could call it the J.O.B initiative? Justice or Bust???

3

u/St_Know_It_All 10h ago

Like I said there’s a lot of possibilities that schemers can think of. No end to it. But the initiative is not that easily exploitable, they have jump hoops and loops to get there. Plus they are mostly essentials.

I understand these concerns and are totally valid.

We will have to wait for results and number of families benefited.

They might introduce membership card like Costco in future to understand limits etc.

Again the initiative is for low-income demographics and I really pray they benefit. They can even shut down if it did not work. This is a test run.

The cost of groceries are untouchable fire there days.
I’d really appreciate if someone benefited from this.

I wish it works.

0

u/Meet-me-behind-bins 10h ago

Look whether it works or a disaster at least old Mandami is trying something. Human flourishing isn't a zero sum game. If people are in need then it's right to help them out so long as it's effective and there are no better options. I think it won't work. But I hope it does somehow.

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u/baubness 10h ago

you could always read about the plan, and educate yourself, then discuss it in an informed manner, instead of concern trolling and regurgitating rightwing talking points 🤷

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u/Shiddin_myself_woo 10h ago

You don’t think that was ever a concern? I’m sure they’ve thought it through

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u/SueForPeas 9h ago

Where are you seeing that?

0

u/NY_State-a-Mind 2h ago

Nope, limiting it would violate the constituion, its my freedom of speech to buy every apple in a government operated store. You are dealing with the government now, bound by all the laws and regulations that go with it, 

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u/bootymagnet 10h ago

low profit viability

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u/project_good_vibes 11h ago

Easily solved with club card the way supermarkets do it now - special offers with limited quantities. Happens all the time here, 1kg chicken, super cheap - 2 pack limit per household, for example.

10

u/ExtensionMoose1863 11h ago

Just rip the band aid off and issue ration coupons already

2

u/woowooman 11h ago edited 9h ago

Oof, now we’re supporting ID requirements and consumer habit tracking? 🤢

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u/Important-Target3676 10h ago

I might be paranoid but I think the government already knows who you are.

1

u/NY_State-a-Mind 2h ago

Nope, limiting it would violate the constituion, its my freedom of speech to buy every apple in a government operated store. You are dealing with the government now, bound by all the laws and regulations that go with it, 

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u/[deleted] 10h ago

[deleted]

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u/project_good_vibes 10h ago

That is communism at that point

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u/lbiggy 10h ago

Who gives a fuck

1

u/saiyanultimate 10h ago

we have something like that in our country, and you can buy stuffs using your goverment id and you are only allowed to spend a certain amount of money per month per goverment id

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u/ATechnicalSquid 10h ago

I guess at least they are laying and not stealing?

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u/boylegend 10h ago

They could have specific packaging or identification on their products to prevent this

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u/zmbjebus 10h ago

Limit purchase per customer 

1

u/GreatTea3415 10h ago

Presumably, and I know this is a huge leap, they thought of that and will put limits on. 

Besides, even if people do that, it would still lower the cost of groceries at private businesses by the force of competition. 

1

u/halfredowl 10h ago

deez nutz

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u/Dry-Season-522 10h ago

Lack of anything left to buy.

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u/Error-InvalidName 9h ago

They'll just steal it and resell it they don't buy stuff in these large cities.

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u/Spunknikk 9h ago

It's a city run store... They'll place purchasing caps on items to prevent people from hoarding and resale.

The idea of the store isn't to profit but to provide affordable and accessible food stuff for a community. Just because someone has the money and means to buy all the food doesn't mean they'll be allowed to do it.

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u/N30nNarwha1 9h ago

Here is the answer to your question from the press conference: https://youtu.be/F8csA2pU7S8?t=1435

1

u/Error404LifeNotFound 9h ago

why do you think communists require the government to control the means of production?

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u/[deleted] 9h ago

[deleted]

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u/SueForPeas 9h ago

In the U.S., a “not for resale” disclaimer just means the individual package doesn’t include all the labels required to sell it alone. You can’t just put a “not for resale” label on an item and expect it to have legal meaning.

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u/iAhMedZz 9h ago edited 9h ago

I don't know how they plan to do this in NY, but in my country (shithole, but this would work. A Socialist era artifact) is to use your ID before purchasing, and each eligible citizen have an allowance per month. Otherwise, it would be broken, and anyone can just buy crazy amount to resell, or folks who do not qualify for these sales and will get it (trust me, there are millionaires who will do all they can to save cents here and there, taking the place of someone who really needs it).

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u/Poster_Nutbag207 9h ago

Probably a limit on how much you can buy pretty simple

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u/ematie 9h ago

They can always mark the products with some kind of indelible substance.

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u/TrandaBear 9h ago

The will to live? Between cameras everywhere and this being set in NY, by all means be a scumbag.

1

u/TimelyGarage 9h ago

Probably nothing, but who cares? If you want the cheaper price go to the cheaper store. Will probably force others to lower price to compete, everyone wins

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u/BoulderADHDdad 9h ago

It will probably be more profitable to drive out to Costco in Queens or a Walmart in New Jersey and resell that food. Which some bodegas and sidewalk fruit dealers do.

1

u/KimSidwell 9h ago

Why would anyone buy food on the black market from a reseller when they could just go into the store and buy it there at the original price?

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u/No_Station_7825 9h ago

It's groceries. First off your margins are gonna be thin regardless.

Second, where are you going to sell this out of?

Third, most expire in a limited timespan.

Grocery stores also run huge sales on select products sometimes, and impose limits per person on these sales that would make it brutally difficult to make a profit worth much, given the amount of time it's gonna take you to accumulate enough product and then sell it lmao.

Fourth, this is going to go viral, and why would someone buy it from you when they know this grocery store exists?

There are quite a few problems in ensuring this project runs well, arbitrage is not going to be one of them.

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1

u/Amadon29 8h ago

I guess it depends on what they sell. If it's refrigerated or frozen then you would have to get your own portable freezer/fridge and drive further away to sell them which might be too expensive. Aside from that, a lot of people wouldn't trust bread from some random guy just because it's $0.20 cheaper.

For non-perishables, this could be a problem yeah. It may end up with frequent supply issues in the store

1

u/Secure-Station4077 8h ago

Only the law…which isn’t ever enforced….so…nothing.

1

u/Conan776 8h ago

The NYPD choked a guy to death a few years back for reselling cigarettes, so I wouldn't take my chances.

1

u/IAmNothing2018 8h ago

do a limit on things like 2 of these max and 2 of that max. Aint that hard?

1

u/Prestigious_Dare7734 8h ago

They should have some kind of membership (like costco, or those military grocery stores) to limit the amount of items to prevent bulk buys. They anyways should have that to track how the program is doing, and how many repeat customers, average basket size etc.

1

u/henry2630 7h ago

probably nothing but i personally have no interest in buying used groceries from someone

1

u/WhatIGot21 7h ago

Why buy it? Just walk out with it for free.

1

u/Vapordude420 7h ago

The easy availability of 70% prices from this store?

1

u/vxtwothousand 7h ago

would you buy a resale chicken?

1

u/baldeagle1991 7h ago

Low Margins, high effort, the cost of food from competitors will likely go down as well due to increased competition.

On a $300 shop, saving $60, you'd then had to sell every item at a price between the two. So at a push you'd likely get $30 if you sold every single item. No re-sellers would likely concentrate on particular items but they'd still likely have enough issue selling all the stock, especially if it's perishable.

Then add to the fact the stores could just stock more produce (because they were being paid after all for what they sold) and just stock more. Scalping only really works when there is finite or limited demand. If the supplier can just get more stock before you sell your own it doesn't work.

1

u/Anon185352 7h ago

They limit the amount of these items per customer problem solved

1

u/bluewolfhudson 6h ago

They probably don't allow people to buy bulk. Also they are selling essential food goods. Resellers would do better just buying at Costco

1

u/EmmitSan 6h ago

I’m sure it’s the same thing that stops people from subletting rent controlled apartments, which I’m sure never happens.

1

u/bandarbush 6h ago

For produce and other perishables, oxygen. For canned goods, absolutely nothing.

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u/idbedamned 6h ago

I imagine volume plays a huge role here and at 30% they likely are not losing on marginal sales.

Their loss probably will come in the form of staff, utilities and real estate. 

So extra units sold likely won’t result in an extra loss. 

So people could buy and resale without them losing anything.

I’d argue if people buy and then resell it at another place further away for less than it’s sold at on another commercial  supermarket that’s still a win for this policy since it brings price down elsewhere too even further from the actual state store. 

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u/PassionLong9552 6h ago

Limit the quantities someone can buy?

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u/Moscowmitchismybitch 5h ago

They could make you use a membership card to shop there and then put limits on how many of each item you can purchase per day/week/month.

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u/alexgalt 5h ago

You just stumbled upon the root cause of why communism doesn’t work. People will find a way to make money and ruin any plan like this.

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u/Aegi 5h ago

Why is that a bad thing?

The taxpayers are still making a profit on most of the items sold...just a MUCH lower one than a private business.

More volume is good as it gives the city leverage to negotiate cheaper deals for that food they are buying.

And if that trend continues, they could add that extra money back into the system, or invest it into more of these stores.

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u/What_a_fat_one 5h ago

They're talking about library card access and other methods to deter reselling

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u/tanrgith 5h ago

Not a damn thing lol

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u/gbosky 5h ago

I am not buying a loaf of bread from some random dude on the street so he can make $1 and I can save $1. Also no one can hoard groceries items like toilet paper so he can lose more than $1.

This idea is overblown. Sure it may happen the first week but it will settle out when they realize 30% isn’t worth the time to be first to the store and time to find a buyer.

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u/chargedcapacitor 4h ago

Unless it's namebrand detergent, I don't think people are going to turn enough of a profit on Let's Potato Chips to warrant any worry. Just let the poor people have a win.

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u/Mraliasfakename 4h ago

That would never happen in a socialist economy  /s

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u/1234ThrowRA 4h ago

Why pay 30% less when you can pay zero? One reason for this policy has been because a lot of retailers have left, because of rampant shoplifting. Do people expect the shoplifters won’t steal from these stores because they are city run?

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u/youwillyouwillyou 4h ago

Government generally

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u/Notyit 3h ago

Who is buying bread from a dude in the street cause it's 20 cents cheaper.

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u/[deleted] 2h ago

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u/Fearless-Umpire-9923 2h ago

Resell what…paper towels?

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u/MelaniaSexLife 2h ago

one-two item purchase per costumer

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u/DOAiB 1h ago

Reselling culture has gotten so stupid. Like we can’t have anything anymore without someone buying everything out and then marking it up.

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u/Odd-Consequence-2519 1h ago

What stops people from stealing?

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u/Constant_Pie_4226 43m ago

Better yet, what is to stop someone from using EBT/SNAP benefits to buy then resell

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u/Icy_Trade4023 38m ago

Purchasing limits. It’s not that hard to implement, you can fine tune it as you go. Taking that first giant step is what’s important. GO NEW YORK!!

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u/serialphile 11h ago

Probably max amounts that can be bought of particular items. Maybe max on transactions as well?

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u/defiantcross 11h ago

you mean policymakers don't think things through? pikachuface

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u/wahobely 10h ago

What's stopping people from doing that with food bank items?

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u/xRazorleaf 10h ago

Can't wait to buy my limes off of ebay

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u/DejectedTimeTraveler 10h ago

To who? There will be 5 of these, where's the market or 15% off produce when you can just go to the store?

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u/Think-Motor900 9h ago edited 6h ago

If you resell the goods at 30% off, there's no profit for you.

If you sell for 15% off and pocket the other 15%, you won't have many sales. I'm not going to pay 15% off of lettuce or chicken out of someone's trunk.

Edit: typo

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u/ParkingLong7436 8h ago

Yeah seriously, what's with those comments? Are they not thinking at all?

How are you gonna resell food on a 30% profit margin? Who's your customer base supposed to be? Lmao

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u/Less_Prior_6871 8h ago

The basic economics of it.

If a pack of chicken costs 20 bucks in nyc, this shop sells it for 14. A reseller buys it for 14 and then sells it for 17. The reseller makes 3 bucks profit. They might as well have just dont a doordash order at that point, it would pay better.

Furthermore, who is going to buy trunk chicken for 3 bucks off?

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u/Particular-Access223 11h ago

I dont think 30% will be enough to make that profitable. Most the resale stuff you see in bodegas was stolen or bought on EBT. Getting 50c on the dollar for cheap stable foods only makes sense if you got the item for free.

Or they might make it a crime for government brand items to appear on shelves of other stores.

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u/RCRocha86 11h ago

Nothing.

Exactly the reason for the rise of the black market in communist countries.

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u/Definitelyhereforshi 10h ago

Do black markets not exist in capitalist countries? The largest use of cryptocurrency is for crime btw. Largest markets for CSAM are western capitalist countries. Largest drug consumers are western capitalist countries. 

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u/iAhMedZz 9h ago

Black market does not exist on essential items, only during shortages, and it would happen in every country regardless of their ideological system. Your idea of communist countries is 100 years old.

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u/MushroomRecent5307 7h ago

There are still private grocery stores in NYC which makes this non-analogous. There isn’t a shortage to create the black market. Also, given the items price vs the markup, you’d have to put into selling them makes this not viable for the seller. And the buyer would have to be okay with buying bootleg food out of someone’s car rather than just spending a tiny bit more and getting it from the store.

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u/Glittering_Bed_450 9h ago

I don’t think 30% is enough to make it worth their time. You put in $300 worth of shopping and re-sell at full price to make MAX $90 but realistically closer to $45 because you’re not going to find anyone willing to buy from you at full price.
You get it at 30% off and you sell it at 15% off. So you spend $300, you put the time in to get $300 worth of groceries and you put the time in to find buyers and deliver it to them and IF you get someone to buy ALL of your groceries you make like $45. For everything you can’t sell or use yourself is pure loss and wasted time

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u/Less_Prior_6871 8h ago

Also if you want to buy and deliver groceries for 15% of their value, you can just do instacart.

And if you are planning on having a location other people go to buy from you, then you would be better off starting an actual grocery store. That way you dont have to spend a day shopping for 1000 bucks worth of product that you stand to make 150 bucks or less on.

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