Greenest grocers ranked by Corporate Knights magazine

The greenest grocers are ranked in the current issue of Corporate Knights magazine. Its first-annual Green Grocer Report Card ranks the way major Canadian grocery chains stack up when it comes to promoting environmental concerns to their customers. The rankings were as follows:

Mainstream grocers

1. Loblaw Companies Limited: C+
2. Safeway Inc.: C
3. Metro Inc.: C
4. Sobeys Inc.: C

Specialized grocers

1. Planet Organic Market Ltd.: A
2. Whole Foods Market: B+

Anonymous assessments were made in Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver, and questionnaires were used at the corporate level to "provide a sense of where things are going", according to a release.

"With private-label organic lines and fair trade coffee just about standard in mainstream stores, it is clear that grocers have crossed a green threshold, the magazine said in a release. "But the report card shows there is room for improvement across the board, since environmentally-friendly household goods, local produce, and sustainable meat and fish were difficult to find at the stores visited."

Canadian grocers are aware that customers are demanding environmentally-friendly products, the research found.

“Grocers are making commendable changes to their corporate strategies, including building LEED-standard buildings and making it easier for individual stores to source local food,” says Melissa Shin, Associate Editor. “However, there is a disconnect between what is being promoted at the corporate level and what the consumer sees during his or her weekly shopping trip.”

The full results of the rankings can be found at the magazine's website.