Retail suppliers are being asked to share anonymous views on how the watchdog Groceries Code Adjudicator is performing its role of monitoring retailer behaviour
Suppliers are being urged to provide anonymous feedback on how the retailer watchdog Groceries Code Adjudicator is performing in its duty of monitoring retailer behaviour and report any unfair practices within the supply chain.
The review covers the period from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2025, with the consultation closing on 5 August.
Established in 2013, the GCA’s role is to make sure that large retailers in the UK treat their direct suppliers lawfully and fairly, investigating suspected breaches of the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCoP) and arbitrating disputes.
Current GCA Mark White has been in position during the period covered by the review, after being appointed in October 2020 and reappointed in May 2024 for a further three-year term.
“I am pleased to launch this consultation for the fourth statutory review of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) to gain evidence on how it has performed its statutory obligations from 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2025,” said minister for employment rights, competition and markets, Justin Madders.
“Additionally, the government would be interested in any evidence of unfair contractual practices that may have a negative impact on parts of the supply chain not covered by the Code or the Fair Dealings Regulations.
“While some of these issues may be outside the scope of this review, the government would nonetheless still find this information helpful to inform its ongoing consideration of the effectiveness of food supply chain regulation.”
The last published GCA survey in 2024 showed:
- fewer grocery suppliers are experiencing code-related issues with large retailers
- a reduction in reported issues about cost price increases
- Some compliance issues however remain, most notably with Amazon, whose perceived code compliance score from suppliers fell from 59 per cent in 2023 to 47 per cent in the 2024 survey
- The adjudicator continues to monitor changes Amazon is making and their impact on suppliers to determine whether they are sufficient
The previous three reviews have found the GCA to be effective in enforcing the code, but the government said it is keen to hear supplier views in light of changes in the groceries market, including the continuing growth of online and the increased use of technology by large retailers.
The food supply landscape has been further changed by the Agriculture Act 2020 and the establishment of a separate adjudicator, the Agricultural Supply Chain Adjudicator (ASCA), to enforce those regulations. The government said it would benefit from supplier views on how the GCA operates alongside these additional changes.
The review questionnaire can be found at this link.
