Walmart’s NYC prospects hinge on Hunts Point Market

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From left: Walmart, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Hunts Point Market

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Longtime Walmart opponent City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is willing to soften her stance against the retailer if it agrees to source its produce from Hunts Point Market should it bring stores to New York City. According to Crain’s, Quinn is in discussions with Walmart officials to strike a deal where city outlets would purchase at least some produce from the market and its 47 businesses. Quinn and Hunts Point leaders fear that if Walmart uses its traditional network of produce sources, it will harm Hunts Point sales as other grocers that rely on the market fail to compete with the low-priced retailer. Gristedes, D’Agostine, Morton Williams and Associated all use Hunts Point, according to Crain’s, and Gristedes CEO John Catsimatidis said his company does $50 million in business a year at the market. Hunts Point recently inked a three-year deal to remain in its 43-year-old Bronx facility, after flirting with a move to New Jersey, and is seeking a $320 million renovation to its headquarters. Quinn said that while an agreement with Hunts Point wouldn’t guarantee Walmart’s presence in the city, it would go a long way towards quieting opponents. Walmart recently pledged $5 million to Quinn’s beloved summer jobs program in New York City. [Crain’s]