10:18 AM EST, 01/16/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Empire Company (EMP-A.TO) has agreed to remove a property control that restricted retail grocery store competition in Crowsnest Pass, Alberta, the Competition Bureau announced on Thursday.

According to the statement, Empire's IGA store is the only grocery store in Crowsnest Pass. The Bureau said it recently became aware of a property control restriction that had been imposed by Empire in the region since 2017, to ensure that it would continue to be the only grocery store in the area.

Removing the property control means a new grocery store competitor can move forward with plans to open a second store in Crowsnest Pass in 2025.

The Bureau's investigations into the use of property controls by Sobeys' and Loblaw's ( LBLCF ) parent companies, first announced last June, are ongoing.

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