New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani reached a deal with Donald Trump to get a 90-day delay on new Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) rules so that bodegas and convenience stores across the country have time to comply.
The extension, Mamdani said, begins Friday following conversations he had with Trump and Brooke Rollins, the agriculture secretary.
The new guidelines, implemented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which retailers must meet by Nov. 4, require stores to stock at least seven varieties in each staple food category: dairy, grains, proteins and fruits or vegetables. Retailers should also ensure they offer perishable products in three of the core food categories.
The new guidelines have thrown the lives of “more than a million New Yorkers” and “tens of millions more across America” into “chaos,” the mayor said at a news conference Friday.
“People, already facing a shortage of affordable places to buy what they need for their home, skyrocketing prices at the checkout and food deserts across the five boroughs, are now worried that the few places they can shop will no longer be able to accept their benefits,” Mamdani said.
Several advocates worried that the new rules would mean people who rely on Snap wouldn’t be able to shop at their only accessible store. According to the Food Research and Action Center, bodegas, convenience stores and small grocery stores make up about 70% of Snap retailers.
Given the tight timeline to adjust their inventory and meet new requirements, small retailers were at risk of going out of business if they couldn’t accept Snap benefits, the mayor said.
“Because many of our fellow Americans, whether shopping at a general store in Michigan or a convenience store in Missouri, would have struggled to use their benefits and feed those they love.”
More than 100 bodega owners contacted Mamdani’s office to voice their concerns about the new rule. According to New York City Department of City Planning, there are more than 10,000 bodegas and convenience stores spread across the five boroughs.
Gn headline
