After years of fractious negotiations over a grocery industry code of conduct, Loblaw Cos. Ltd. has dropped its earlier opposition and agreed to sign on to the new rules aimed at smoothing relations between retailers and their suppliers.
“I think that’s unheard of, and having removed that, then our biggest concern is gone,” Mr. Bank said. “So we are happy that we can continue to negotiate and trade fairly with suppliers, as we have done for the past 100 years.” “The key principles have not changed – transparency, fair dealing,” Mr. Graydon said. “There is less ability for misinterpretation. That’s really the exercise we went through.”
Mr. Bank said on Thursday that cooperation across the grocery sector is necessary for the code to work. “We have just received the latest draft of the revised Grocery Code of Conduct, which was not previously shared with us,” she wrote. “We will review it and determine next steps. As we’ve said all along, we continue to be focused on our customers’ best interests.”