Who owns FreshCo?
FreshCo is owned by Empire (Canada, TSX: EMP.A).[1]
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Evidence: Empire Company Limited Annual Information Form, fiscal year ended May 2, 2026, 17 June 2026. Last checked .
Key facts
- Current owner
- Empire Company Limited reported
- Owner HQ
- 🇨🇦 Canada, Stellarton
- Origin
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- Category
- Home, garden & DIY › Retailer own brands › Grocery own brands
- Parent ticker
- TSX: EMP.A
- Last verified
- · 1 sources
About FreshCo
FreshCo is Empire's discount grocery banner. The 2026 Annual Information Form says it has been expanding to Western Canada since fiscal 2018 through store conversions and regional expansion, that a strong multicultural assortment and the Scene+ loyalty program support its growth, and that it operated 161 stores across Canada as of 17 June 2026, with its first Atlantic Canada stores planned in fiscal 2027.
Ownership timeline of FreshCo
Where FreshCo sits in Empire
Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.
Open the full Empire ownership tree →
See the full Empire brand portfolio (9) →
Other brands owned by Empire
Empire controls 9 brands on Brandtree, 8 of them in home, garden & diy.
Also in home, garden & diy
Other brands in grocery own brands, and who owns them
The 168 brands in grocery own brands on Brandtree belong to 53 owners. The largest is Cencosud, with 12; Empire has 8.
| Brand | Owner | Owner based in |
|---|---|---|
| Bretas | Cencosud | 🇨🇱 Chile |
| Lucerne | Albertsons | 🇺🇸 United States |
| City Gross | Axfood | 🇸🇪 Sweden |
| Checkers | Shoprite Group | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| Amanhecer | Jerónimo Martins | 🇵🇹 Portugal |
| K-Citymarket | Kesko | 🇫🇮 Finland |
| Farmer's Market | Loblaw | 🇨🇦 Canada |
| Chef Direct | AML Foods | 🇧🇸 Bahamas |
About the owner: Empire
Empire is a publicly listed company headquartered in Stellarton, Canada. Brandtree records 9 brands under its control, and it is listed as TSX: EMP.A.
Canadian food retailer headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia, whose food retailing segment runs through its 100% owned subsidiary Sobeys Inc., Farm Boy and a 51% interest in Longo's. Its 2026 Annual Information Form says Sobeys owns, affiliates or franchises more than 1,600 stores in all ten provinces. The same banner list includes IGA and Safeway, which are not recorded here as owned brands; only banners and own brands the filing names for Empire's own operations are listed.
🇨🇦 FreshCo and other Canadian brands
Brandtree records a controlling owner for 174 brands that began in Canada. 41 of them (24%) are now controlled by a company headquartered in another country; FreshCo is not one of them.
- Classé — HARMAN 🇺🇸
- Farmer's Market — Loblaw 🇨🇦
- Kuny's — Hultafors Group 🇸🇪
- Sleep Country — Fairfax Financial 🇨🇦
- Air Canada — Air Canada 🇨🇦
- Air Transat — Transat 🇨🇦
Frequently asked questions
Who is the parent company of FreshCo?
The parent company of FreshCo is Empire, a publicly listed company headquartered in Canada.
Is FreshCo Canadian?
Yes. FreshCo originated in Canada and its owner, Empire, is also headquartered in Canada.
Is FreshCo still owned by Empire?
Yes. As of 4 October 2026, FreshCo is still owned by Empire. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Sources (1) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
- [1] Empire Company Limited Annual Information Form, fiscal year ended May 2, 2026 — Empire Company Limited, Annual report, published 17 June 2026; retrieved 4 October 2026.
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