He told an audience at a
Medline, who was the first grocery executive to speak out in favour of a code, said he hopes the grocery code could lead to lower food prices in the future, but added it’s not a panacea "for all the issues that drive up prices."
Last fall, Loblaw and
Proponents of the code say it will help level the playing field for suppliers and smaller grocery retailers by introducing rules for negotiations between industry players. It would also include a dispute resolution process.
But Loblaw and
The impasse has led to talk of the code being made mandatory instead of voluntary, with the
Medline said he’s frustrated at how long the code has taken, but still believes there’s a way to keep it industry-led instead of bringing in legislation.
"It’s high time this was brought to a close," the president and CEO of Sobeys’ parent company said.
There’s no code without all the retailers, added Medline in an interview after the event.
“I think everyone's caught in a bit of a stalemate right now trying to figure out how to put pressure on the parties that won't sign,” he said.
“I think it’s a bit of a game of chicken here.”
Discussions about the code are ongoing with all retailers, said
“We're not giving up, so it's not at a standstill. We're trying to get everyone's consensus,” said Nathanson.
Medline said he believes the code represents a better way to do business. Having come to the grocery industry from
“I was just shocked coming into grocery ... how the industry did business,” he said.
These included fees such as the ones introduced by Loblaw and
While talk of a code preceded that, Medline said he thinks that was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back, finally pushing the industry to start developing a code.
In his talk, Medline also called on the
Medline said Empire did not participate in fixing the price of bread in
“We've asked the bureau many, many times to bring their inquiry to a close and clear our name,” he said. “Instead, their investigation drags on and the cloud over our head remains.”
At least
In
In the interview, Medline said he feels that the bread price-fixing allegations have undermined trust in the grocery industry, setting the stage for that trust to further slide amid food inflation and accusations that grocers were unduly profiting from it.
"That was the start of ... going downhill in the industry in terms of reputation," he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published
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