BC Greens commit to public grocery chain with 20 stores at 30 per cent below market prices
The BC Green Party is proposing a publicly owned grocery chain called Green Grocers, with 20 locations and a distribution hub funded by $100 million in provincial money, Daily Hive reported on October 19.
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The BC Green Party is proposing a publicly owned grocery chain called Green Grocers, with 20 locations and a distribution hub funded by $100 million in provincial money. Daily Hive reported the plan on October 19, 2026 in an article by Kenneth Chan.
According to Daily Hive's reporting, the party says prices on a core basket of goods at the stores would be 30 per cent below market levels. Emily Lowan is the leader of the BC Green Party and the party's candidate for Saanich North and the Islands. The figures come from the party's own announcement, as reported by Daily Hive.
What the party is proposing
Daily Hive reported that the BC Greens say the $100 million in upfront provincial funding would cover 20 store locations and a distribution hub. The party did not say where the 20 stores would be located or when they would open, according to the Daily Hive report.
The party says the distribution system would require 30 per cent of goods to come from locally produced food, and that it would supply grocery stores, schools, and hospitals, according to Daily Hive.
The party quoted in the Daily Hive article: "The BC Greens are determined to change this system, to break up the oligopolies." That quotation comes from Daily Hive's reporting.
The precedents the party cites
Daily Hive reported that the BC Greens point to the BC Liquor Distribution Branch, which operates about 200 publicly owned liquor stores in the province, as a precedent for a government-run retail network.
The party also referenced a similar proposal by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whose first publicly owned grocery store is reported to open by the end of 2027, according to Daily Hive.
What the report does not include
Daily Hive's article does not report a response from the BC NDP or the BC Conservatives to the proposal. The article does not say how the 20 store locations would be chosen or how long it would take to open all 20.
Daily Hive noted that Statistics Canada found food store net profit margins ranged from 1.5 to 2.3 per cent before the pandemic and from 2.4 to 3.8 per cent in 2021 to 2022.
What voters can do
The full list of BC Green Party candidates is at /bc/provincial-2026/parties/bc-green-party. General voting day is October 24, 2026. Advance voting runs until October 21.
Questions this story answers
What is the BC Greens' grocery store proposal?
Daily Hive reported on October 19, 2026 that the BC Green Party is proposing a publicly owned grocery chain called Green Grocers. The party says it would start with 20 locations and a distribution hub, and that a core basket of goods would be priced at 30 per cent below market levels. The proposal would be funded by $100 million in upfront provincial money, according to Daily Hive's reporting of the party's own figures.
How much would the BC Greens spend on Green Grocers?
According to Daily Hive's reporting of October 19, 2026, the BC Green Party says it would commit $100 million in upfront provincial funding for the Green Grocers chain. That figure is the party's own, as reported by Daily Hive. The party has not published a detailed breakdown of how that cost was calculated, and Daily Hive did not report one.
How many stores would the Green Grocers chain open?
Daily Hive reported on October 19, 2026 that the BC Greens say the chain would start with 20 grocery store locations plus a distribution hub. The party did not say where the 20 stores would be located or when they would open, according to the Daily Hive report. These are the party's own figures, as reported.
How would prices at Green Grocers compare to existing stores?
Daily Hive reported that the BC Greens say a core basket of goods at Green Grocers would be priced at 30 per cent below market levels. That is the party's own commitment, as reported by Daily Hive on October 19, 2026. The party did not define which goods would be included in the core basket, according to the Daily Hive report.
What precedent does the BC Greens cite for a publicly owned grocery chain?
Daily Hive reported that the BC Greens point to the BC Liquor Distribution Branch, which operates about 200 publicly owned liquor stores, as evidence that a government-run retail network can work in the province. The party also referenced a similar grocery proposal by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, whose first store is reported to open by the end of 2027. Both references come from Daily Hive's October 19, 2026 report.
Who announced the Green Grocers plan?
Daily Hive reported the plan on October 19, 2026, in an article by Kenneth Chan. The BC Green Party announced the proposal as part of its platform ahead of the October 24, 2026 provincial election. Emily Lowan is the leader of the BC Green Party and the party's candidate for Saanich North and the Islands.
Is this a Green Party promise or a government commitment?
This is a campaign commitment from the BC Green Party. The party has not formed government. The Greens would need to win enough seats in the October 24, 2026 election for any part of this commitment to be acted on. The BC Greens are running candidates across British Columbia.
What is the distribution component of the proposal?
Daily Hive reported that the BC Greens say the Green Grocers chain would include a public wholesale and distribution system, with a requirement that 30 per cent of goods in that system be locally produced. The distribution hub would serve grocery stores, schools, and hospitals, according to Daily Hive's reporting of the party's announcement on October 19, 2026.
When can voters in BC cast a ballot?
General voting day is October 24, 2026. Advance voting runs until October 21 at locations across BC. You can find a voting place through Elections BC at elections.bc.ca. You can read about the BC Green Party at /bc/provincial-2026/parties/bc-green-party.
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