Bill 296: Increasing Grocer Competition Act

This bill directly affects commercial landlords, shopping centre operators, and property owners across Nova Scotia who have leases or title restrictions that give existing grocery tenants exclusivity over their trading area. Grocery chains and supermarket operators — particularly large anchor tenants in strip malls or plazas who relied on exclusivity clauses to keep competitors out — lose those contractual protections entirely. Convenience store operators selling fresh produce are also covered, meaning landlords can no longer be contractually blocked from renting to them. Any business that purchased commercial property subject to a restrictive covenant preventing grocery use will find that covenant automatically void, with no right to compensation for lost exclusivity or reduced property value.