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David Eby pledges grocery profit caps if re-elected, saying families could save up to $700 a year
The BC NDP would cap margins on staple foods, require unit pricing and pursue other measures it says could ease grocery costs for B.C. residents.
David Eby says a re-elected BC NDP government would crack down on corporate price gouging and cap profits on everyday essential foods, potentially saving B.C. residents up to $700 a year. Speaking at a news conference in Kelowna on Friday, Oct. 2, Eby said B.C. has only five major grocery chains and that they earn huge profits. The Weston and Pattison families, which respectively own Loblaws and Save On Foods, increased their combined wealth by $4.4 billion in 2025. Grocery prices are meanwhile 27 per cent higher than they were five years ago.
In a release, Eby said corporate retailers use inflation as cover to raise prices on essential goods, squeezing families at the checkout. He said the party would cap unfair increases on grocery staples and protect shoppers from rising prices. The BC NDP says it would use a “price guard” to cap profit margins on essentials including milk, eggs, cheese, butter and poultry. It would also require clear per-unit pricing to address “shrinkflation.” The party further proposes banning real estate controls that limit competition between grocery stores and surveillance pricing, and working with the federal government to establish a food terminal in the Lower Mainland where smaller grocers could buy wholesale at competitive prices. The party says the measures could save customers up to $700 per year. Eby said, as with housing, lowering grocery costs would take a range of steps.
Reports over the past year have described B.C. residents struggling with high grocery costs. Nearly 40 per cent have reported changing their eating habits to cope with rising prices, and food bank use has increased, including among people with full-time jobs. Since calling the snap provincial election on Sept. 22, the BC NDP has made several campaign promises. They include cutting provincial gas taxes and regulating oil and gas companies, which the party says would save the average driver $20 per tank fill-up. The provincial election is on Oct. 24.