The Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon has launched her annual survey, calling on fresh produce suppliers to tell her whether the major retailers are treating them fairly and lawfully.
The survey, which is open until 23 April, plays a vital role in the GCA’s work for the year ahead and is an opportunity for producers and suppliers to tell Tacon what Code issues they are facing.
This year the survey – the sixth carried out by the GCA –includes Ocado and B&M, which were designated by the Competition and Markets Authority in November last year. Suppliers can complete it at: www.yougov.com/gca.
In 2018, 14 per cent of respondents supplying own-label products were fruit and vegetable producers. They told the GCA that the biggest issues they faced were delays to payments and receiving no compensation for forecasting – both of which Tacon has been formally monitoring this year.
She said: “The annual survey plays a huge role in my work. It sheds strong light on the behaviour of the retailers and tells me how well they are complying with the Code. I use the information I receive to help identify top issues and to decide where to focus my discussions with the businesses I regulate.
“Thanks to the large numbers of suppliers who have taken part in previous years I have been able to delve deeper into specific issues, identifying particular challenges for individual retailers to work on.
“I need all sectors and sizes of groceries suppliers to complete my survey so please take the time to fill it in, and I welcome a cross-section of views from within suppliers. I am hoping as in past years to receive more than 1,000 replies from suppliers.”
Independent polling company YouGov runs the survey on behalf of the GCA, which emphasised that the inofrmation provided by suppliers is treated in complete confidence.
YouGov collects and analyses the answers and will present the results at the GCA annual conference on 24 June in Westminster. Registration for the conference is now open at:www.gov.uk/gca.
