• In Canada, Global News reports that Gonzalo Gebara, president-CEO of Walmart Canada, says that "the company is willing to participate with other major grocers in the creation of a grocery code of conduct that would level the playing field between suppliers and retailers, reversing an earlier position against the measure."
“I acknowledge that in the past we didn’t participate, but we are willing to participate now,” he said. “We will support any initiative that would bring better conditions and the ability to have more transparency in the whole (supply) chain.”
According to the story, "Work on a grocery code of conduct began in earnest in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, after Walmart Canada imposed new fees on suppliers to help offset a $3.5-billion investment in its stores and e-commerce business through 2025. Loblaw Companies, Canada’s largest grocery corporation, also imposed new supplier fees that year. … The code of conduct would impose fair practice standards on retailers and suppliers and make those rules transparent, while potentially imposing financial penalties on companies that don’t comply."
