CFTO - Monday, May 27, 2024 - 07:00 a.m. (ET) - Segment #2

What does it take to be aleader in electric vehicles? At Hyundai, it takes acommitment to quality a desire to innovate and show the worldthe way forward. But don't takeour word for it. Take it fromeveryone else. So, what does it take to makeCanada's most awarded fullyelectric vehicle l wah is whatit takes. [Hyundai sting] Did you know that you get used to odors in your home? Yep. You go nose blind. Try Febreze Plug-In with fade defy technology. It's the only air freshener that eliminates odors. So you and your guests can enjoy freshness for up to 50 days. Try a warmer now for only $0.99 cents. (Song in Italian) ("il geghegè" by Rita Pavone) ( ) Fiery with a cooling finish. The Nashville-Style Hot Chicken part of the new Globally Inspired Subway Series. Tap into BetMGM Casino and you're entering a huge library full of exclusive games. Games you won't find anywhere else. Looking for jackpots? Right this way. You'll always find someone ready to give you a hand. Or some dice. Your favorite games waiting for you... On BetMGM Casino. Derek. Meredith. So who wants to make history? Grey's anatomy, thursday at 9/10 mountain on ctv. Catch up on ctv.ca and the ctv app >> Anne-Marie: canadian grocery giants are once again in the hot seat. Empire, the parent company of sobeys is pushing back against allegations of anti-government conduct. Now the commissioner of the competition launched a probe over an alleged use of property controls to limit grocery competition. All of this is adding to existing pr problems, including a month-long loblaws boycott which is expected to be followed with a sobeys boycott. We are joined by retail expert doug stephens for more. >> Great to be with you, anne-marie. >> Anne-Marie: the end of may marks one month of a boycott of loblaws. >> The competition bureau seems to be focusing in on an aspect of the retail industry with what we call restrictive covenants. When a large retailer like loblaws or sobeys takes space in a commercial property, what they will often do is build into their leasing agreement a restrictive covenant that says to landlord, because we now occupy this space, you cannot have anyone else that competes either directly or even indirectly in some cases with us. So for example, you can't lease out space to a butcher or a bakery in the same mall that we occupy. And the position of the competition bureau and it's a fair position, is that this really does have a dampening effect on competition. It's also fair to say, this is not a new phenomenon. Restrictive covenants have been a reality in retail for decades. >> Anne-Marie: we hear about the bread price-fixing and then there was the second probe that was launched. How does that affect us overall? >> It's obviously a real building of outrage. And as you point out, the bread fixing inging inging scandal happened 9 years ago. The pandemic, we saw high prices and record profits. The fact of the matter is when you take into account that this country is basically dominated to the tune of 70% of the grocery market, by only 3 retailers, obviously we have to be looking at all avenues of raising the competitive level in this country to give consumers more choice and hopefully be able to bring some downward pressure on pricing. >> Anne-Marie: that's been the line of at least the western company who has said, you know, their push-back is we have too much government restriction. We can't offer competitive

prices because of the restrictions. But then the industry minister françois-philippe champagne said he is going to seek a foreign grocer to strengthen market competition. Could that be a threat we see realized. There have to be a lot of steps in order for that to happen. >> It's a great question. I guess I see a couple of issues with that. Number one, we have to appreciate that at the end of the day, as much as I love this country. We are small. We are about the same population as california. It's a difficult job to entice a specialty retailer like a grocer into a country that has a small market that is dominated by three major incumbents. Wouldn't it be better if we could actually put into place a structure that promoted domestic competition where we could take small to medium-sized grocery retailers in canada and specialty retailers in the category and boost them. Give them a framework for growth so that we can grow our own home growth competition. >> Anne-Marie: here is where I feel stuck as a consumer. You have the big grocers saying one thing. We have to be able to give you better prices. We will bring in a foreign competitor. As a consumer, I am doing this tennis match back and forth. I am paying $12 a pound for grapes. What is the solution for consumers. >> We have seen one of the solutions through the boycott. And there is now news that the organizers of that boycott are now looking to extend the current boycott on loblaws. So you are absolutely right. We have a lot of finger pointing going on. And up until now, consumers have been watching this ping-pong match between government and private enterprise. Now what we are starting to see is consumers actually taking action and shifting their consumption from one retailer to another. And in some cases, actually looking for options outside of the big three. So it's this kind of pressure that I believe is bringing companies like loblaws now to the table to discuss -- and at least begin those discussions around what they can do to emileate the solution. >> Anne-Marie: doug, nice talking to you. Coming up after the break, kelsey has the nationa forecast. Surprise! I've got Summer Fridays Masks for everyone. On my day, my besties will be glowing mama. It's this Merit. Does lips, does cheeks, I've got it on both shiny and soft? I know, right? Did you cheat on me? (Gasp!) Girl, no. It's Amika and it's Clean at Sephora. Brands like Phlur have everything you want minus certain ingredients you might not. Summer Fridays, Merit, Amika, Phlur. Clean at Sephora, is only at Sephora. Go ahead. Indulge. Because tonight, you didn't just silently bail on that party. You didn't just text an excuse. No, you picked up the phone and called to say, "i can't make it." Yeah, that's Mars-worthy. Did you know that you get used to odors in your home? Yep. You go nose blind. Try Febreze Plug-In with fade defy technology. It's the only air freshener that eliminates odors. So you and your guests can enjoy freshness for up to 50 days. Try a warmer now for only $0.99 cents. [ ] With lotto 6/49... ...What possible could you find? With two jackpots on every ticket: the growing Gold Ball jackpot, plus the Classic jackpotof $5 million. [olg Sting] Red hot summer four farmers one mission true love I'm super excited to find the love of my life. A new crop of daters plunge into rural life I'm not a farm girl yet, but I'm farm-curious. On the show with real life romance I feel really special. Real connections I'm all in. Real heartbreak who will find their happily ever after? I did fall in love. You're a person I can see a future with. I choose you. Farming for love on ctv . >> Kelsey: it is going to be a tumultuous day across ontario and québec. If you have evening plans, know

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