And this assumes the municipally owned stores will face the same cost structure as their private competitors, which is not the case. There is simply no way that four stores, or even a nationwide chain of 50 outlets, can match the purchasing power of giants like Walmart and Costco, which buy in bulk to feed their network of locations throughout the country, and around the world, and have spent decades finding suppliers for their private labels, which often cost significantly less than name-brand products.