Empire Co., which operates Sobeys and IGA, has come to an agreement with Food, Health & Consumer Products of Canada on a Grocery Supply Code of Practice for Canada. The draft code aims to stabilize relations between retailers and suppliers by calling for fair and efficient handling of all negotiations and commercial agreements. Its provisions include a requirement for negotiated agreements in writing between retailers and suppliers and the introduction of a government adjudication system to manage complaints of unfair practices.
The FHCP has been advocating for a Code for the last two decades, as a result of complaints of unfair practices in the marketplace relating to issues such as arbitrary fees, cost increases imposed without notice, and late payments.
