This US city only has one supermarket for 45,000 people. New legislation seeks to fix that
Woonsocket, Rhode Island, is facing a food desert crisis with only one full-service supermarket serving 45,000 residents. New state legislation aims to combat this by banning anti-competitive clauses that prevent new grocery stores from entering local markets.
Why it matters
The legislation addresses the systemic issue of food insecurity and corporate monopolization of retail space in vulnerable urban areas.
An empty, fenced-off lot in Diamond Hill Plaza, beside the only full-scale grocery store in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, on 14 August 2026. An empty, fenced-off lot in Diamond Hill Plaza, beside the only full-scale grocery store in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, on 14 August 2026. Our unequal earth Rhode Island This US city only has one supermarket for 45,000 people. New legislation seeks to fix that Big grocery can use anti-competitive clauses to block other stores from entering a market. Rhode Island is the second state to ban that practice
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