Suppliers asked to reveal their treatment by retailers

Supermarket suppliers are being asked to help build a picture of how retailers have treated them in the past year by completing a YouGov survey.

The Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA), whose role it is to ensure the UK’s 10 biggest groceries retailers stick to fair practice, has a legal duty to ensure the anonymity of any suppliers offering information.

See also: Your guide to the groceries code and adjudicator

The information will be used to help the GCA, Christine Tacon, work out which issues need attention and to assess how effective her work has been over the past 12 months.

The 2017 Groceries Code Adjudicator Survey is open until 17 April.

Last year, 62% of the 1,000 suppliers who responded said they had experienced issues dealing with retailers in the year before the survey, compared with 70% in 2015 and 79% in 2014.

See also: Tesco guilty of widespread payment delays to suppliers

The Adjudicator said she was working on a number of key issues, including late payments (this was the main issue raised in last year’s survey).

She urged suppliers to come forward so she could get problems solved.

Last year the GCA concluded its first, and so far only investigation, which examined Tesco’s late payments to suppliers.

The survey results will be presented at the GCA conference on 26 June in London.

Meet the GCA in person

Ms Tacon will be at a number of events in March and April where she is encouraging suppliers to raise any issues with her face-to-face:

• 22 February, Cambridge A supplier seminar organised by Mills and Reeves. This is an invitation-only event for directors/owners of supplier companies; for further inquiries email Sarah Adams on sarah.adams@mills-reeve.com
• 23 March, Newport Taste Wales Conference. Suppliers still wishing to attend the event can find more information on the Taste Wales website 
• 29 March, Edinburgh The Adjudicator is attending a breakfast meeting hosted by PwC. Suppliers who wish to attend the breakfast should email fraser.collins@pwc.com for further information.

Suppliers attending these events who want an individual meeting with Christine Tacon should email enquiries@gca.gsi.gov.uk

GCA-organised events specifically for suppliers include the below. To register your interest email enquiries@gca.gsi.gov.uk

• 27 March, Holborn, London
• 3 April in Manchester