The Groceries Code Adjudicator's (GCA) annual sector survey is now available for completion. Please visit www.yougov.com/gca.
The GCA has been tasked with overseeing the Groceries Supply Code of Practice and encouraging compliance with it. The Code governs the relationship between the UK’s 10 largest groceries retailers (with a turnover of at least £1 billion) and the suppliers who supply groceries direct to those retailers.
This is the third year that the GCA has commissioned a survey seeking feedback from suppliers on the impact of the Code. As before, it is being conducted by YouGov, which means that information is treated in confidence and respondents are not identified to the GCA without their prior consent.
In previous years some suppliers have refused to give feedback or indeed to engage with the GCA at all in order to report breaches of the Code by retailers, citing fears over potential loss of anonymity. The GCA is keen to reassure suppliers that anonymity will be retained and has pointed out that her recent decision criticising Tesco for breaches of the code was produced without anonymity being lost. This year’s survey therefore also asks those completing it to explain what would encourage them to raise any issues they have about groceries supply.
The annual survey is an important source of information for the GCA. In addition, the role of the GCA is due to be reviewed by Parliament over the next few months and the results of the survey are therefore also likely to help form opinions about the success of the role.