A new grocery retail consultancy has been established to train suppliers to spot breaches of the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) and navigate conflicts with retailers.
The GSCOP code, which was introduced in 2009, was designed to regulate the relationship between supermarkets and their suppliers. Since 2015 it has had the power to fine supermarkets up to one per cent of annual turnover for breaches of the code.
The new Leeds-based consultancy, which shares its name with the code, gives grocery companies commercial, legal and reputational advice, helping them identify how they can improve their relationships with supermarkets.
The consultancy’s aim, according to its website, is to “ensure every supplier governed by the Groceries Supply Code of Practice is understood, is embraced by all sides, and delivers a more sustainable and profitable market place.”
But the organisation claims that at present the majority of the 8,000 suppliers, whom the code is there to protect, “are operating at a distinct disadvantage to their supermarket counterparts.”
Founded by four former supermarket executives with a combined experience of more than 85 years in the grocery sector, the new firm has a strong understanding of the industry, both before and after GSCOP was introduced.
All four of its founding directors have past experience at Asda: Dave Miles as commercial director; Dom Burch in a variety of marketing and communictions roles; Ged Futter as senior buying manager in a range of categories; and Alistair Maiden as head of contracts.
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