- Brand origin
- Canada
- Main production
- Canada
Compliments is a Canadian private-label grocery brand sold through Sobeys and related stores. The brand is ultimately owned by Class B Holdings Limited, a family-owned Canadian entity, through Sobeys Inc. and Empire Company Limited.
compliments.caOwnership chain
- BrandComplimentsCanada
- Sobeys Inc.
- Empire Company Limited
- Ultimate ownerClass B Holdings LimitedCanada
About Compliments
What is Compliments?
Compliments is a Canadian private-label grocery brand operated by Sobeys Inc. Compliments covers everyday food and household products positioned as an alternative to national brands. Sobeys describes Compliments as its national-brand-equivalent private-label tier, alongside Sensations by Compliments and Signal. Compliments products are sold in more than 1,500 stores across all 10 Canadian provinces. The official website is compliments.ca. Compliments is a store brand rather than a separately listed food manufacturer. Sobeys develops and sells Compliments products through its private-label program, while products are manufactured through the company’s supply chain and by suppliers serving that program. The name appears on products including food, beverages and household goods. Compliments has also been used with several product-focused sub-brands. These have included Compliments Organics, Compliments Balance, Compliments Greencare, Compliments Gluten-Free and Compliments Naturally Simple. The available ownership and corporate materials identify Compliments as part of Sobeys’ broader Own Brands portfolio.
Who owns Compliments?
Compliments is ultimately owned by Class B Holdings Limited, according to Made O’Meter’s ownership data verified on 13 September 2026. The ownership chain is Compliments, Sobeys Inc., Empire Company Limited, then Class B Holdings Limited. Sobeys Inc. is the direct operating company associated with Compliments. Empire Company Limited owns Sobeys Inc. as a wholly owned subsidiary. Empire Company Limited is ultimately controlled by Class B Holdings Limited. Made O’Meter identifies Class B Holdings Limited as headquartered in Canada and family-owned. Sobeys describes itself as a wholly owned subsidiary of Empire. Empire’s corporate materials list Compliments among Sobeys’ Own Brands and describe Compliments as the main brand for a broad range of everyday products intended to compete with national brands on quality and value. This ownership is separate from the question of where individual products are manufactured. Compliments is owned through the Sobeys and Empire corporate structure, while particular products can be made by different suppliers or facilities in the private-label supply chain.
Where does Compliments come from?
Compliments originated in Canada and joined the Sobeys family under the name Our Compliments in 1993. The brand’s official history says that the name and design changed in 2004, when Our Compliments was renamed and redesigned as Compliments. Sobeys introduced its exclusive Compliments private-label offering in 2005. Sobeys’ corporate history describes the 2005 launch as the introduction of the exclusive Compliments private label. The same history says that Sobeys later reported almost 5,000 Compliments private-label products. The brand’s history is connected to Sobeys’ expansion through the acquisition of the Oshawa Group. Empire Company Limited acquired the Oshawa Group for approximately $1.5 billion in 1998. The Oshawa Group was a Toronto-based supplier to IGA stores. After the acquisition, Sobeys adopted Oshawa’s Our Compliments brand and later shortened the name to Compliments. The official Compliments history presents the 1993 arrival in the Sobeys family as a key starting point for the current Canadian brand. The 2004 redesign and the 2005 private-label launch were subsequent steps in the development of the name now seen on Sobeys products.
What products does Compliments make?
Compliments products include a wide range of grocery and household items sold under Sobeys’ private-label program. The portfolio has included products under Compliments Organics, Compliments Balance, Compliments Greencare, Compliments Gluten-Free and Compliments Naturally Simple. The product range has also included fresh, packaged and frozen foods, dairy products, pantry items, snacks, beverages, household products and pet-related products. Individual product formulas and availability can vary by store, province and product category. Sobeys has used Compliments as its broad national-brand-equivalent tier, while other Own Brands serve different positions. Sensations by Compliments has been used for selected premium products. Signal has been used for lower-priced store-brand products. In late 2009, Sobeys moved lower-priced store-brand products from Compliments Value to the Signal brand. From 2007 to 2010, Sobeys offered Compliments Junior products co-branded with The Walt Disney Company. The co-branded range was a historical product program and does not establish that current Compliments products carry Disney branding. The Compliments name can appear on products with different ingredients, suppliers and certifications. A shopper needs to check the package for the specific product’s ingredient list, allergen statement, nutrition information, country-of-origin wording and certification marks.
Where do Compliments products come from?
Compliments products come through Sobeys’ private-label supply chain, which includes manufacturing and food-processing facilities acquired with Canada Safeway in 2013. The acquisition included 12 manufacturing and food-processing facilities, along with distribution centres and grocery operations. Sobeys acquired substantially all of the assets and selected liabilities of Canada Safeway in 2013 for a cash purchase price of $5.8 billion. The transaction closed effective 3 November 2013. The acquired operations included 213 full-service grocery stores, 200 in-store pharmacies, 62 fuel stations, 10 liquor stores, four primary distribution centres and 12 manufacturing and food-processing facilities. After the Canada Safeway acquisition, Sobeys combined the Compliments private-label program across Sobeys and Safeway stores after taste-testing products from both operations. Compliments replaced some Safeway in-house brands following the acquisition. This means Compliments products do not necessarily come from one factory or one province. The manufacturing location depends on the product and supplier. The ownership of Compliments belongs to the Sobeys and Empire structure, while the label on an individual package provides the most specific information about that product’s manufacturing location.
Are Compliments products good?
Compliments products are positioned by Sobeys as national-brand-equivalent private-label products focused on quality, price and selection. A product’s quality depends on its category, recipe, supplier, storage and the shopper’s preferences. Compliments does not represent one standardized formula across every product. Cheese, butter, olive oil, prepared meals, ice cream, cat litter and other products have different ingredients, manufacturing processes and performance criteria. A judgment about one Compliments product cannot automatically be applied to the full range. Sobeys’ historical corporate materials described a private-label portfolio of approximately 4,300 products excluding products acquired through the Canada Safeway acquisition at the end of fiscal 2014. Sobeys later reported almost 5,000 Compliments private-label products in its corporate history materials. These figures describe the scale of the private-label assortment at the stated periods, not a rating of product quality. For a specific Compliments product, shoppers can compare the ingredient list, nutrition facts, package size, country-of-origin statement, allergen declaration and price with competing products. Product availability and formulations can change over time.
Who sells Compliments products?
Sobeys sells Compliments products through Sobeys stores and other stores in Sobeys’ Canadian retail network. Compliments products are available in more than 1,500 stores across all 10 Canadian provinces. The wider corporate retail network associated with Empire includes grocery banners such as Sobeys, Safeway, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Farm Boy, Marché Bonichoix and Les Marchés Tradition. The availability of a particular Compliments item depends on the banner, store format, province and local assortment. Compliments is therefore best understood as a Sobeys private-label brand sold through affiliated Canadian grocery operations, rather than as a product line distributed equally through every retailer. A store can carry some Compliments categories without carrying the entire range. The phrase Our Compliments refers to the earlier name used before the 2004 rename and redesign. Current products generally use the Compliments name, although historical references and older packaging may use Our Compliments.
Is Compliments a Canadian brand and company?
Compliments is a Canadian-origin private-label brand operated through Sobeys Inc., a Canadian grocery company within Empire Company Limited. The brand joined the Sobeys family in 1993 and is sold across all 10 Canadian provinces. Compliments is not a standalone public company. The operating business sits within Sobeys’ Own Brands portfolio, and Sobeys is wholly owned by Empire. The ultimate owner identified for Compliments is Class B Holdings Limited, which Made O’Meter identifies as family-owned and headquartered in Canada. Canadian origin does not mean that every Compliments product is made in Canada. Manufacturing can vary by product and supplier. The package for each item is the appropriate source for its specific country-of-origin and manufacturing information. The Canadian identity of Compliments is also distinct from the nationality of ingredients. A product may be sold by a Canadian private-label business while using ingredients sourced from Canada, other countries or a combination of locations, depending on the product.
Subsidiaries: Sobeys Inc. is a subsidiary of Empire Company Limited and operates the Compliments brand.
Frequently asked questions about Compliments
Who owns the Compliments brand in Canada?
- Compliments is ultimately owned by Class B Holdings Limited, a family-owned Canadian entity, through Empire Company Limited and Sobeys Inc. Sobeys Inc. operates the Compliments private-label program.
Who makes Compliments products?
- Compliments products are made through Sobeys’ private-label supply chain and by suppliers serving that program. The supply chain includes manufacturing and food-processing facilities acquired with Canada Safeway in 2013, but the manufacturer can differ by product.
What store brand is Compliments?
- Compliments is Sobeys’ national-brand-equivalent private-label tier. Sobeys sells Compliments alongside other Own Brands, including Sensations by Compliments and Signal.
Is Compliments cheese halal?
- Halal status cannot be determined for Compliments cheese as a whole because recipes and certifications vary by product. Check the specific package for a halal certification mark and review the ingredients or contact Sobeys for that item.
Is Compliments mozzarella cheese halal?
- The halal status of Compliments mozzarella depends on the specific product and package. The product label or a current certification from the relevant certifying body is needed to verify it.
Is Compliments bacon gluten free?
- The gluten-free status of Compliments bacon depends on the specific product and formulation. Check the package for a gluten-free claim and the allergen statement, because the Compliments range includes different products.
Is Compliments olive oil real and good?
- Whether a Compliments olive oil is extra virgin, blended or another type depends on the specific product label. Check the product name, ingredient list, origin statement and storage information rather than applying one judgment to every Compliments olive oil.
Is Compliments a love language?
- Compliments, as a grocery brand, is not the relationship concept known as a love language. The word compliments can also mean expressions of praise, but that separate meaning does not describe the Canadian food brand.
Sources: compliments.ca: our story, corporate.sobeys.com: history, canadiangrocer.com: sobeys vp talks compliments brand refresh innovative new products, empireco.ca, lesaffaires.com, canada.ca, globalnews.ca, msn.com, en.wikipedia.org, atlanticbusinessmagazine.ca, stephenkimber.com, strategyonline.ca, compliments.ca: notre histoire, corporate.sobeys.com: our brands, sedarplus.ca: document.html, sedarplus.ca: document.html, reddit.com, livingsafelyrecalls.wordpress.com: food recall compliments smashed chicken burgers, canadiangrocer.com: should sobeys go discount west, timesmojo.com, canadiangrocer.com: sobeys and safeway combine flyers, sedarplus.ca: document.html, livingsafelyrecalls.wordpress.com: food recall compliments smashed chicken burgers
Sources: empireco.ca, en.wikipedia.org, newswire.ca
Ownership data is compiled from public sources and verified where possible. Spotted an error? Suggest a correction below.
Products from Compliments
97- Compliments Deep Dish Pie ShellsFood – Frozen Pastry
- Compliments Peach CocktailBeverage – Fruit Juice Cocktail
- Compliments Fizzy Strawberry Watermelon Sparkling WaterBeverage – Flavoured Sparkling Water
- Compliments Cocoa PowderFood – Cocoa Powder
- Sobeys Compliments Organic Lentil SoupFood – Canned Soup
- Compliments Natural Spring WaterBeverage – Still Water
- Compliments Oatmeal Chocolate Chip CookiesFood – Biscuits & Cookies
- Compliments Organic Honey Almond GranolaFood – Breakfast Cereal / Granola
- Compliments Naturally Simple Crunchy Peanut ButterFood – Nut Butters & Spreads
- Compliments Butter Flavour Microwave Popping CornFood – Snack (Popcorn)
- Compliments Tomato SoupFood – Canned Soup
- Compliments Pure HoneyFood – Honey
- Compliments Oven-Roasted Chicken BreastFood – Deli Meat
- Compliments Instant CoffeeBeverage – Instant Coffee
- Compliments Quick OatsFood – Cereal and Grains
- Compliments Large White EggsFood – Dairy and Eggs
- Compliments OnionsFood – Fresh Produce
- Compliments Flaked Light Tuna Skipjack in WaterFood – Canned Seafood
- Compliments Cinna-Crunchies CerealFood – Breakfast Cereal
- Compliments Cinna-CrunchiesFood – snack (cinnamon flavoured snacks)
- Compliments Tomato PasteFood – Canned Tomato Product
- Compliments Root Beer Flavour Sparkling WaterBeverage – Sparkling Water
- Compliments SalsaFood – Condiment
- Compliments Skim Milk PowderFood – Dairy
and 73 more products

