Empire makes grocery property-control limits legally binding
The Competition Bureau says Empire’s commitments to stop restrictive covenants and limit exclusivity clauses are now legally binding and enforceable.
Empire Company, the parent of Sobeys, IGA, Safeway, FreshCo and several other grocery banners, has entered a legally binding agreement limiting its use of property controls.
The Competition Bureau said Tuesday that Empire will no longer enforce existing restrictive covenants, enter new ones or request that others establish them for the company’s benefit. Empire will also limit its use of exclusivity clauses in commercial leases.
The consent agreement has been registered with the Competition Tribunal and carries the force of a court order. The Bureau says its investigation into property controls used by other grocers remains open.
Source: Competition Bureau Canada, September 22, 2026.
Illustrative stock photo: Franki Chamaki via Unsplash, under the Unsplash License. Resized; not a photograph of a Sobeys or Empire store or property.
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