Feds Should Boost Grocery Competition at Home, Not Seek Outsider: Experts

Instead of enticing a foreign grocer to come to Canada, some experts say Ottawa should look at ways to support smaller and regional grocery companies to boost competition. Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne said this week that he’s been reaching out to foreign grocery companies in the hopes they will come to Canada and help strengthen competition in the industry. “Am I going to succeed? I don’t know. But certainly, it’s worth trying,” Mr. Champagne told reporters on Jan. 30, adding that more players in the market will help put downward pressure on prices. But while the arrival of a new discount retailer like Aldi or Lidl could create some price competition, it’s not that easy for a foreign chain to come to Canada and succeed, said Peter Chapman, founder of consulting firm SKUFood and a former Loblaw executive....