Savvy shoppers know they can save big on a loaf of bread at Dollarama. But at more than a dozen of the Quebec-based company’s stores in Nova Scotia, there’s no bread on the shelves. Those stores have one thing in common: there’s a Sobeys nearby. Mary Wilson went shopping at Dollarama’s Cole Harbour ...
Let's be real, in this case we're talking about Sobey's, not a Mom n' Pop grocery store. This is a company making record profits and a significant driver of inflation, they're not going to shut down because Dollarama is selling bread.
This is how it works for many, many businesses. Before you agree to a lease for a coffee shop you make sure that no one else is going to be able to open a coffee shop in the same area. This is how commercial leases work.
No, this is how it works for large wealthy powerful people who can afford to pay off all the real estate agents to act in their favor, or lobby for zoning changes immediately after opening their business and demand grandfathering status, or even just buy all the surrounding real estate so no one else can.
This is not how it works for a mom and pop shop. They have no power to make such demands.