well at least outside of the US there's tons of government-owned businesses, it doesn't really mean any major changes outside of how the administration works.

The city owns and runs the grocery stores. They're not required to make huge profits and can therefore offer reasonable prices. They can buy directly from local suppliers, thus creating or securing local jobs. Basically, if you cut out all the bloodsuckers, things become much better.

It's a pilot program for a few stores.

The city currently has a program where they're paying private grocery stores to try and mitigate food deserts, but there's so few strings attached it's just free money to the shops.

He's proposing ending that, and using the money to directly open grocery stores in food deserts run as city owned coops.

It's not infringing on private business because they're not operating in these areas anyway.

There are already gov. owned stores in some states (liquor stores, but that's close enough).