Adjudicator Mark White wants to hear how supermarkets are complying with the code
The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) has opened its annual survey and has called on suppliers to feed back on their treatment by the 14 large retailers.
The survey, run by YouGov, is one of the most important ways for suppliers to confidentially tell the GCA about their experiences supplying the large retailers. The questions cover the behaviour of the retailers and issues affecting the industry.
GCA said the responses would help clarify which large retailers are perceived as the most, and least, compliant with the groceries code and how cost price negotiations and other issues are impacting suppliers.
Adjudicator Mark White said: “The 2024 survey results showed improvements in the number of suppliers experiencing code issues and across several of the most significant issues impacting relationships between the large retailers and their suppliers. It also highlighted suppliers’ concerns about Amazon.
“I want to hear from as many suppliers as possible about their ongoing experiences supplying the large retailers. Your feedback helps me to better understand supplier concerns and to focus my engagement to ensure these retailers treat all suppliers fairly and lawfully.”
The survey is open for six weeks, closing on Sunday 23 February, and the results will be published in the summer. The GCA will commission YouGov to conduct anonymous follow-up interviews with a select group of respondents to explore supplier concerns in more detail. Suppliers can indicate their willingness to participate in these interviews at the end of the survey.
The survey can be accessed here.
The 2024 survey
Last year’s survey revealed that the number of suppliers experiencing a code issue had fallen by 3 per cent to 33 per cent. There was a 12 per cent fall, to 16 per cent, in the percentage of suppliers highlighting a large retailer’s response to a CPI request as an issue.
Suppliers perceived improvements against other issues including large retailers’ processes to promptly resolve invoice discrepancies and data input errors. White said he is interested to see what changes suppliers perceive in the new survey.
The 2024 survey results also highlighted suppliers’ concerns about Amazon – its perceived code compliance score fell from 59 per cent to 47 per cent. White stressed he is monitoring the actions that Amazon is taking to ensure that it is demonstrably complying with the code and would like to continue to hear from suppliers about their ongoing experiences.
