(Ottawa) Canada’s major grocers have not yet confirmed whether they have committed to implementing special promotions to stabilize food prices, as recently promised by the federal government.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced last week that grocers had presented initial plans to stabilize prices, which include discounts, price freezes and best price guarantee campaigns.
The Canadian Press contacted grocers Loblaw, Empire, Metro, Walmart and Costco, to confirm exactly what each of them promised to do.
Metro declined to comment, while Loblaw, Empire and Costco did not respond to our request for comment.
In a written response, a Walmart Canada spokeswoman said the company shared with the government its intention to continue offering “everyday low prices,” which refers to the company’s strategy of to offer low prices on a regular basis, rather than on promotion only.
“Last week, we explained to the government how we will continue to offer low prices to Canadians every day during these difficult times,” said Stephanie Fusco, the company’s senior business director.
“We are taking steps to combat inflation and keep prices low, and in our proposal we have also made several suggestions on the role that government and regulators can play in curbing food price inflation for Canadians. »
The federal government issued an ultimatum to grocers in September, saying they must present plans to stabilize food prices by Thanksgiving or face possible tax action as a result. .
This decision is linked to the pressure Canadian families face as food prices continue to rise rapidly. Grocery prices in August were 6.9% higher than a year ago. Meanwhile, the country’s annual inflation was 4%.
However, the announcement made by Minister Champagne last week on grocers’ commitments included few details. He did not give examples of products that could be the subject of particular promotions, in particular.
The Minister of Industry has repeatedly cited other countries, such as France and the United Kingdom, as examples for grocers to follow.
The French government reached a three-month deal with supermarket chains earlier this year to allow them to cut prices on hundreds of staples and other foods, a deal that is expected to be extended until summer.
In the UK, grocery giant Asda announced plans in June to freeze prices on 500 products until the end of August.
Other European countries have imposed price controls on basic foods.