As inflation bites into Canadians’ spending power, the country has seen food prices rise at the fastest rate since the early 1980s.
The Competition Bureau has announced it is launching a study on grocery store competition within Canada. The study will take a look at issues in the sector, to provide recommendations to government on how to improve competition between Canada’s grocery stores.
While several factors are believed to be contributing to the rise in prices – weather, input costs, supply chain and the Ukraine conflict – the Bureau will also examine whether competition is an issue. The study will look at three main questions:
- To what extent are higher grocery prices a result of changing competitive dynamics?
- What can we learn from steps that other countries have taken to increase competition in the sector?
- How can governments lower barriers to entry and expansion to stimulate competition for consumers?
Those interested in participating are invited to submit responses to the Competition Bureau by December 16, 2022, with a final report coming in June 2023.
