Manitoba Cracks Down on Grocer Price Gouging

Manitoba is introducing legislation to combat differential pricing by grocery retailers, a practice where customers are charged varying amounts for identical products online. Finance Minister Adrien Sala announced that Bill 49, the Business Practices Amendment Act, has been tabled to outlaw personalized algorithmic pricing as an unfair business practice. This initiative seeks to guarantee fair, transparent, and consistent pricing for consumers.

The proposed law targets the use of consumer data, such as purchase history or geographic location, to inflate online prices. While the specific penalties and enforcement mechanisms are yet to be detailed, the government is acting proactively, citing U.S. studies indicating price differences of up to 13% for the same grocery items based on the customer. This legislative effort follows a recent announcement of a government study into grocery pricing practices and a prior law aimed at increasing competition in the sector.