New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani‘s team is now clarifying that an ID will not be required to shop at a city-owned grocery store.
As Globe previously reported, a clip of Mamdani’s Monday, July 27 press conference about the five municipal grocery stores opening in the city recirculated on Monday, August 3.
In the press conference — posted on YouTube by the mayor’s office — Intrem, president and CEO of the Economic Development Corporation, Jeanny Pak explained, “We are looking to make sure that we target New Yorkers, whether it be a sort of a library card-esque thing, and also we manage who’s buying and that it’s focused on everyday New Yorkers.”
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Some people were angry with what was perceived as ID requirements, sparking backlash. However, the mayor’s office told Forbes on Monday that Pak was talking about some sort of loyalty-card program that won’t require ID or an address.
“Comparisons to voter ID laws or the SAVE Act simply do not apply,” Mamdani’s spokesperson Cassio Mendoza told the outlet. “This is not an identification system, nor is it a mechanism to verify who someone is, where they live, or how much they earn.”
“It is a practical inventory management tool to ensure affordable groceries remain available for the people who need them instead of being cleared off shelves for resale,” Mendoza added.
According to the NYC.gov website, there will be a city-owned grocery store in each of the five boroughs, and they will include “a core basket of everyday groceries” which “will be 30 percent cheaper.”
This story NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Team Clarifies City-Owned Grocery Stores Won’t Use ‘Identification System’ first appeared on Globe. Follow Globe on Yahoo so you don’t miss what’s coming next.