Competition Bureau publishes competitor property controls guidance
GATINEAU, QC, June 4, 2025 /CNW/ - The Competition Bureau has published updated guidance on competitor property controls following a public consultation.
The guidance provides Canadians transparency on the Bureau's enforcement approach to competitor property controls under the Competition Act. The Bureau will continue to revise its approach as it gains more experience, as circumstances change, or as the law continues to evolve.
Competitor property controls are restrictions that limit how a property can be used by others. They can raise serious competition concerns, for example, by making it difficult for businesses to open new stores, or by limiting the products that can be sold in a store.
The Bureau encourages Canadian businesses to review the guidance and ensure that their existing or planned property controls comply with the law.
Quick facts
The Government of Canada recently made significant changes to the Competition Act as part of its efforts to modernize Canada's competition laws.
In December 2023, important changes were made to expand the scope of reviewable collaborations between firms and to strengthen the Bureau's ability to prevent abuse of dominance.
More changes were made in June 2024 that further strengthen the Bureau's ability to act on competitor collaborations.
The Bureau published its grocery market study in June 2023, where it recommended that all levels of Canadian government act to increase competition in the grocery industry. The study also concluded that property controls can limit competition from new grocers and can deny consumers the benefits of competition including lower prices, greater choice and increased innovation.
In August 2024, the Bureau invited Canadians to provide feedback on its preliminary enforcement approach to property controls. The Bureau then updated the guidance based on the consultation and enforcement experience.
In January 2025, the Bureau announced that Sobeys' parent company, Empire, agreed to remove a property control that restricted retail grocery store competition in Crowsnest Pass, Alberta.
In June 2024, the Bureau announced that it obtained two court orders to advance its investigations into the use of property controls by Sobeys' and Loblaw's parent companies.
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The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency that protects and promotes competition for the benefit of Canadian consumers and businesses. Competition drives lower prices and innovation while fueling economic growth.
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