Overview
- The Competition Bureau has launched an active investigation into minimum advertised pricing (MAP), rules that set the lowest price retailers may show in flyers, apps or online listings.
- MAP can be imposed by suppliers or agreed with retailers and can bar stores from advertising their lowest prices even if they could sell below that level at checkout.
- The bureau is asking consumers, retailers and suppliers to come forward with examples and documents so it can assess how MAP affects price competition and access to deals.
- Officials say MAP may be especially harmful in grocery retail because a small number of large firms dominate the market, which can make it harder for discount and new grocers to compete.
- This probe is a focused strand of a broader competition review of Canada’s food supply chain and could inform future enforcement or policy recommendations if evidence shows harm to consumers.