While there’s just one brand of milk at Aldi, there are hundreds of cheeses and all the candles and shit, not to mention name brand items. Albrechts didn’t become Billionaires not trying to optimize profits, so I’m not convinced a lower cost grocery store can’t be created here. Security cameras with AI can do a lot to counter theft.

I’m very pro-market, to the point of including public ownership as a market entrant. My bigger issue is when public ownership enables monopolistic market dominance (schools are EXHIBIT A) and I’ve long felt SCOTUS should severely limit how big public entities can get and ELIMINATE their ability to subsidize losses with tax dollars.

One thing these RFPs show is someone realizes these groceries will be limited to people who don’t care about much beyond cost and safety of their food.