(Gatineau) The Competition Bureau says it has obtained two orders from the Federal Court requiring the parent companies of Loblaw and Sobeys to provide it with information related to its investigation into alleged anti-competitive behavior.
The office is investigating the use of property controls in the grocery industry, which are provisions in lease agreements that restrict other potential tenants and their activities.
The bureau says the controls hinder competition in the grocery sector.
The competition commissioner asked the Federal Court in May to order Empire and George Weston to hand over records on real estate, leases, customer data and others.
The bureau says this information will help determine whether Sobeys and Loblaw are imposing anti-competitive restrictions in the grocery sector.
The Competition Bureau unveiled its investigation into the use of ownership controls in the grocery sector in February.