Grocery Heroes Day in Canada Date in the current year: July 19, 2025

The food and grocery industry with its stores and suppliers is essential to Canadian communities and society in general. With more than 15,000 grocery stores across the country employing almost 400,000 people, Canada’s grocery industry is a vital component of the national economy and daily life.

However, it should be noted that most of these stores are owned by a few large companies. The three largest grocers in Canada are Metro, Loblaws, and Sobeys. These companies operate a variety of store formats, ranging from discount banners to premium outlets. In addition to domestic chains, international companies such as Walmart and Costco have a significant presence in Canada. While independent grocers and ethnic food retailers do exist, they often struggle to compete on price and access to supplies.

Canada’s geography and demographics heavily shape the grocery industry. Serving a dispersed population across vast and sometimes remote areas creates logistical challenges, particularly in northern and rural communities, where food prices are substantially higher due to transportation costs. Urban centers, by contrast, benefit from greater food diversity and stronger competition. In recent years, there has also been increased consumer demand for local, organic, and sustainably sourced products, prompting retailers to diversify their inventory.

When most of the country shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic, grocery stores and food suppliers in Canada continued working tirelessly to stock shelves and provide essential goods and services, keeping communities safe, healthy, and well-fed.

Grocery store and supply chain employees faced several significant challenges while continuing their work in this new and dangerous environment. These challenges included product shortages caused by supply chain disruptions and panic buying, staff shortages due to illness outbreaks, constantly evolving health and safety regulations, and a massive shift in consumer behavior. Yet, despite these challenges, they continued to serve their communities.

During the pandemic, Canada’s leading grocery B2B publication, Grocery Business, launched Grocery Heroes Day to recognize the essential contributions of frontline store, distribution, and supply chain workers. This initiative was supported by the country’s grocery industry, the Canadian government, and provincial premiers.

Although the worst of the pandemic has passed, Grocery Heroes Day is still celebrated annually because the hard work of the thousands of people who work in Canada’s grocery industry deserves recognition. On July 19, business and industry associations from across Canada celebrate grocery heroes with special events and activities such as promotions, social media campaigns using the hashtag #GroceryHeroesDay, luncheons, and contests.