Final hurdle clears for grocery code of conduct as Walmart, Costco sign on

All the major Canadian grocers are now on board for a grocery code of conduct, paving the way for industry guidelines several years in the making.

The federal, provincial and territorial agriculture ministers made the announcement Thursday during their annual meeting in Whitehorse, saying the remaining holdouts Walmart and Costco have now agreed to sign on to the code.

“After years of work and widespread industry participation, we are pleased to announce that all major retailers have agreed to join the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct. This includes Loblaw, Sobeys, and Metro, and most recently, Walmart and Costco. This is a positive step towards bringing more fairness, transparency, and predictability to Canada’s grocery supply chain and for consumers. We thank the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct Interim Board for their tireless work,” said the statement.

The voluntary grocery code is meant to level the playing field for suppliers and smaller retailers by providing guidelines for fair negotiations.

Progress on the code appeared to be in jeopardy last fall as it neared completion, with some major retailers saying they weren’t ready to sign on.

In May, Loblaw said it would agree to the code as long as other industry players would do the same, saying its concerns had been alleviated by changes to the document.

After Loblaw’s announcement, attention turned to Walmart Canada and Costco — but the two retailers have now agreed to support the code.