Rules by country / Americas / Canada grocery code of conduct
Canada grocery code of conduct: what it means for suppliers
Since 1 January 2026, Canada's Grocery Sector Code of Conduct is fully in effect: suppliers can bring formal complaints, and an adjudicator settles disputes over fees, penalties and deals. Fair dealing still needs evidence. We bring the evidence on how your sales respond to price.
An evidence pack for price talks
How your sales really respond to price, product by product and retailer by retailer, set out as evidence for each price request and dispute.
- How your sales really respond to price, product by product, measured from your own data
- The evidence for each price request, in the form buyers expect
- What a cost rise does to volume and profit at each retailer
- A plan for each negotiation, and an Excel model
How your results look
| Product | Price request | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Sparkling water, 12 x 355ml | +4% | Volume falls about 1% |
| Cereal, 500g | +6% | Shoppers switch within the brand |
| Juice, 1.75 litres | +3% | Hold: shoppers switch to own label |
Fictional products. Every real result comes with the expected sales and profit, and a likely range.
Your options
Every option has a fixed price, agreed before we start.
Evidence pack
- The evidence for each price request
- Price plan for each retailer
- Scenario model and a walk-through
Full pricing review
- Everything in the evidence pack
- Prices and promotions for the whole range
- How your products take sales from each other
Portfolio review
- Everything in the pricing review
- More retailers and data sources
- A plan for each channel
After the project: a refresh before each pricing round, from £2,000 (about C$3,700). Prices are fixed in pounds sterling; amounts in Canadian dollars are a guide at October 2026 exchange rates. We're based in the UK and work remotely, in English, under NDA.
How it works
From the first call to your plan in about three weeks.
A free 15-minute call
Tell us about your range. We say whether a review would pay for itself, and quote a fixed price.
Your data
Sales by product and retailer, recipes and costs. We sign an NDA before anything moves.
Your plan
The evidence for each price request and a plan for each negotiation, walked through with your team.
Canada grocery code of conduct: the detail
Open only what you need.
- The code
- The Grocery Sector Code of Conduct sets rules for fair dealing between grocers and suppliers, including how penalties and fees are applied
- Fully in effect
- 1 January 2026, when formal complaints and the dispute resolution process opened and members began paying dues
- Adjudicator
- Run by the Office of the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct, whose first President and Adjudicator started on 17 March 2025
- Who
- Canada's five largest grocery retailers, key suppliers and many regional and local grocers committed in July 2024
- Why
- It grew out of disputes over fees charged to suppliers by large grocers, which came to a head in 2020
Bring the evidence
Show what a price rise does to volume and profit, product by product.
Use the process
The code's dispute process now hears formal complaints.
Measure what pays
Keep the deals that earn their cost, and drop the rest.
What is the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct?
Canada's code for fair dealing between grocers and suppliers, including how fees and penalties are applied. It has been fully in effect since 1 January 2026.
Who does the grocery code apply to in Canada?
Grocers, suppliers, wholesalers and producers that join it, including Canada's five largest grocery retailers.
Can suppliers complain under the grocery code?
Yes. Since 1 January 2026, members can bring formal complaints to the code's adjudicator.
Will the grocery code lower food prices?
That isn't its aim. It is meant to make the supply chain fairer and more predictable.
How much does your pricing work cost?
A review of up to 10 products has a fixed price from £7,500 (about C$14,000) and takes about three weeks. For 11 to 50 products, a full pricing review costs around £17,500 (about C$33,000). It starts with a free 15-minute call.
Do you work with brands in Canada?
Yes. We're based in the UK and work remotely and in English, under NDA. Prices are fixed in pounds sterling before we start, and the first step is a free 15-minute call.
- Hortidaily, Canada grocery code now fully implemented
- Global News, grocery code of conduct takes effect
Checked on 25 October 2026. Rules and rates change, so check the official source before making decisions. This page is not tax advice.