Groceries Code Adjudicator Christine Tacon has said she plans to undertake a “major” survey of the UK’s 8,000 suppliers later this year to gain more information about retail supplier relations.
She was speaking at a dinner this week with 40 senior executives from the food sector, where she gave a report on her progress and plans for the future.
In a discussion after dinner, which was hosted by recruitment firm MorePeople, Barclays and Roythornes Solicitors, Tacon emphasised the need for suppliers to come forward with any concerns without the fear of reprisals from retailers.
“It was a very good evening. Christine has a very important role in one of the largest sectors of our economy and to hear her giving her views on how her role has been developing over her first year was informative and enlightening,” said MorePeople’s Peter Hunt.
Head of Roythornes Food, Peter Bennett,said: “The fact that there were so many senior level people from the food sector in the room shows how important the relationship is between suppliers and the supermarkets and how Christine’s role is developing.”
The news comes as yesterday it was announced that Tacon has launched aninvestigation into Tesco’s supplier relations, following information yielded by the ongoing investigation into the retailer’s accounting irregularities.
Recently she has also been given the power to fine supermarkets up to one per cent of their turnover for serious breaches of the Groceries Supply Code of Practice.
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