Costco open to grocery code of conduct, but says it must apply to all

'This code of conduct is not an issue for us,' Pierre Riel, executive vice-president of Costco Wholesale International and Canada, told MPs on Tuesday.

A Costco executive says the retailer is open to supporting Canada’s long-planned grocery code of conduct, but it does not have enough details to make a decision yet.

The grocery code of conduct, which has been in development since 2021, is at an impasse as both Loblaw and Walmart have so far refused to sign on to it in its current state.

Pierre Riel, executive vice-president and chief operating officer of Costco Wholesale International and Canada, said the company itself has not been invited to participate directly in the code discussions but is involved through the Retail Council of Canada (RCC). The RCC is a non-profit association that represents retailers including Canadian grocers.

“This code of conduct is not an issue for us,” Riel told MPs at a meeting of the standing committee on agriculture and agri-food Tuesday.

“We look forward to reviewing the details of how the code will function day to day, who will participate, how disputes will be resolved and, in the end, how the code will impact food prices.”

However, at the moment, Riel said Costco does not have enough information to be able to say whether it will agree to the code or not. He added that the retailer is waiting on any updates from the RCC on this matter.

“It would be premature to say today that we will participate when we don’t have all the details defined,” he said.

Riel stressed that the code should apply to the entire industry.