This US city only has one supermarket for 45,000 people. New legislation seeks to fix that

{

"title": "Woonsocket's Retail Desert: The Scorched Earth of Restrictive Covenants Meets Legislative Pushback",

"article": "Woonsocket, Rhode Island, presents a stark example of market failure by design: a single full-service supermarket, Price Rite, serves 45,000 residents, a staggering 37% of whom face food insecurity. This reality stands in stark contrast to the city's past, when streets bustled with grocery options like Almacs, A&P, Piggly Wiggly, and Star Market, offering choice and competitive pricing, as recalled by native Woonsocketer Jeannine Johansen.\n\nThe current scarcity isn't merely a consequence of shifting retail landscapes; it is, in large part, the deliberate outcome of anti-competitive practices. Major chains such as Stop & Shop and Walmart have historically embedded restrictive covenants into property deeds or leases. These provisions explicitly forbid future food sales—sometimes for decades—after the original tenant vacates, ensuring that former sites cannot host rival grocers. Woonsocket alone contends with at least three such covenants, including one from Stop & Shop's departure in 2004 and another left by Walmart in 2011, which barred both grocers and pharmacies.\n\nThese 'scorched-earth' tactics have quietly perpetuated food deserts for half a century, stifling local economies and limiting consumer access. For Woonsocket residents, 18% of whom lack a vehicle, the solitary Price Rite—perched inconveniently at the top of a hill—necessitates either long walks, reliance on distant options like Shaw's or Aldi outside city borders, or dependence on community initiatives. The non-profit Connecting for Children and Families, for instance, provides free produce and pantry staples to about 300 families weekly, a testament to the unmet need for accessible and affordable food.\n\nHowever, a legislative counter-movement is gaining traction. In July, as part of Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos’s Fair Price Grocery Agenda, Rhode Island became the second state to outlaw these covenants. This decisive action aligns with a growing wave of food security-focused legislation across the United States, including bans enacted in Chicago, Washington D.C., Madison (Wisconsin), Bellingham, Seattle, and the entirety of Washington state. The California state senate is also considering similar measures, signaling a broader recognition of these covenants' detrimental economic and social impacts.\n\nThis legislative shift is more than just a regulatory update; it's a critical attempt to reintroduce competition and rectify decades of market manipulation. By dismantling these artificial barriers, policymakers aim to ease the "soaring expenses walloping Americans at the supermarket checkout" and foster an environment where new grocery businesses can enter the market. The implications are clear: increased choice for consumers, potential price reductions through competition, and, crucially, improved food access for vulnerable populations. This marks a strategic move from unchecked corporate control towards a market structure that prioritizes community welfare and equitable access to essential services.",

"tweet": "One supermarket for 45,000 Woonsocket residents, 37% food insecure. The culprit? 'Scorched-earth' restrictive covenants by big grocery. Rhode Island just became the second state to ban these anti-competitive tactics. About time the market serves people, not corporate greed. #FoodDeserts #RhodeIsland",

"excerpt": "In Woonsocket, Rhode Island, a single supermarket serves 45,000 residents, with 37% facing food insecurity—a stark reality shaped by decades of restrictive covenants. These 'scorched-earth' clauses, imposed by chains like Stop & Shop and Walmart, actively prevent new grocery stores from occupying vacated sites. Now, Rhode Island leads a growing legislative push to ban these anti-competitive practices, aiming to restore choice, affordability, and food access to underserved communities.",

"keywords": "Rhode Island, Woonsocket, restrictive covenants, anti-competitive practices, food deserts, food security, grocery market, Sabina Matos, legislation, retail competition, US economy"

}