In the Seattle area, access to groceries is becoming an increasing concern. Just two corporations control the major supermarket chains, creating risks for consumers. Store closures, such as Fred Meyer — the superstore-format supermarket and department store chain owned by national corporation Kroger — in Redmond and Lake City have been a blow to entire communities. These stores were popular for one-stop shopping, and their loss deprived residents not only of a place to buy groceries but also of affordable pharmacies. The impact has been particularly hard on older adults, people with disabilities, and low-income families.
Beyond Fred Meyer and its parent company Kroger, which also owns the QFC chain, Seattle is dominated by networks such as Safeway (Albertsons), Whole Foods Market (Amazon) and Costco. Traditionally Kroger and Albertsons have taken a large share of the market, while regional chains like PCC Community Markets and Trader Joe's also play a notable role.
In response to this problem, the idea of creating public, or municipal, grocery stores is gaining traction. Many imagine something like Soviet-era ration stores with long lines, but in the U.S. a successful model of public grocery stores has existed for more than 150 years. This refers to the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) system, which, according to expert Errol Schweitzer, is highly effective and popular.
The DeCA system’s principle is simple: public funding covers operating expenses, and large-volume procurement keeps wholesale prices low. As a result, prices in such commissaries are usually lower than in private chains. In 2024, a network of 235 such stores handled 72 million transactions, ranking highly in customer satisfaction ratings.
The problem of food affordability is becoming more acute. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, food prices have risen 30% compared with the pre-pandemic level. A survey in Washington State showed that 70% of low-income consumers are forced to cut back on food quality and quantity due to financial hardship. The scale required to reduce prices is a key factor that small pilot projects fail to address.
The idea of public grocery stores has received political support: it has been proposed by the mayors of New York and Seattle. Seattle’s current mayor, Bruce Harrell, is broadly focused on supporting small businesses and tackling inequality, backing programs to expand access to healthy food in underserved neighborhoods. A bill was considered in the Washington State Legislature that would have allowed cities to create such stores in problem areas, but it did not pass — often due to a lack of votes, committee decisions, or the absence of political compromise. Meanwhile, Atlanta has already opened its first municipal store, Azalea Fresh Market, operating via a public-private partnership.
Retail workers’ unions see strong potential in the public-private partnership model. A city could lease land or space at a reduced rate to a local grocery store in exchange for its operation in an underserved area. Key items, such as bread, milk, or baby formula, could be subsidized, and a contract could guarantee the store’s long-term presence.
Experts propose other measures to ensure food access. For example, authorities could ban restrictive lease terms that prevent a new grocery store from opening in the location of a closed one. Consideration should also be given to regulating algorithmic pricing, which research has shown can lead to price differences of up to 20% on the same item for different customers in the same store.
Ultimately, access to fresh and affordable food is not a luxury but a basic human need, like water or electricity. As union representative Joe Mizrahi noted, ensuring this need should be regarded as a responsibility of society and the state, regardless of who directly provides the service.
Based on: Public grocery stores could be oases in Seattle’s food deserts