- Published on
Canada's Competition Bureau is escalating its investigation into the country's largest grocery retailers—Loblaw, Sobeys, and Metro—over their use of restrictive property controls. The Bureau suspects these 'restrictive covenants' are being used to stifle competition by preventing rival grocers from opening stores in certain locations, potentially leading to higher food prices and fewer choices for consumers. A recent Federal Court order now compels the companies to produce documents related to these practices, marking a critical step in a probe that could reshape the landscape of Canadian retail real estate.