While Canada’s Competition Bureau has done nothing to prevent the consolidation of the Canadian food retail sector for three decades, it is now advocating for more competition from companies outside Canada and help to mid-sized Canadian grocers. Metro Inc., on its own, absorbed Richelieu grocery stores in the 1980s and bought the 14 Super Carnavals in 1987, Steinberg in 1992, Loeb in 1999, A&P in 2005, Première Moisson breads in 2014, Adonis markets in 2017. The office leaves Metro inc. buyout Jean Coutu pharmacies in October 2017. Loblaw has 2,400 supermarkets under 23 banners, including Dominion and Atlantic Superstore, No Frills, Axep, Intermarché, Club Entrepôt, etc. He bought Provigo in 1998, of which Maxi was a part, then Shoppers Drug Mart in 2013, etc. The third pole of the quasi-monopoly Sobeys manages and supplies the 300 IGA grocery stores in Quebec, whose head office is located in Chicago. In 2013, Sobeys bought the 218 Canadian Safeway supermarkets, headquartered in California. Rachelle-Béry natural foods are now under her control, with Bonichoix and Les Marchés Tradition, etc. Walmart and Costco follow. The Competition Bureau has let this quasi-monopoly on food run its course, which can easily control prices, especially bread, as it sees fit, especially in times of so-called inflation. As for the medium-sized grocers, we find that they have all already been absorbed. Why would the Bureau, which prevented this good competition, have more credibility today to protect Canadian consumers and change the traditional laissez-faire?
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