Welcome from the Groceries Code Adjudicator
A highlight of the GCA year is the launch of my annual survey, which is one of the most important ways for suppliers to tell me what they are experiencing. The 2022 survey opened on 17 January and, as in previous years, it is being run by the independent polling organisation YouGov so suppliers can respond frankly in confidence about any issues they are facing.
Last year I received a tremendous response with record numbers of suppliers sharing their views and experiences. I hope that by the time this year's closes on 27 February the response will have been equally enthusiastic. Remember that taking part can help your business.
I cannot over-emphasise how valuable the information you provided in my first survey was to my work. Your responses helped me when I discussed the Code with the senior leadership of the retailers and their Code Compliance Officers, highlighting issues such as delisting, forecasting and suppliers' concerns about the increasing numbers of inexperienced buyers they are encountering. As a result, I have been strongly encouraging the retailers to ensure they have the right training and support in place to help these new buyers build strong and effective relationships with their suppliers so that they have deeper understanding of the businesses they are working with.
Much of the 2022 survey mirrors previous surveys and will allow me to measure progress and to rank retailer compliance with the Code. However, I have also added topical questions about retailer responses to supplier requests for cost price increases - more of this below - and about how the designated retailers react to mentions of the Code. Suppliers will also have the opportunity again to give positive feedback on retailer behaviour.
The survey is available on www.yougov.com/gca and the results will be announced in a special edition of this newsletter as well as on the GCA website in late Spring/early Summer 2022. YouGov will also repeat the practice I began last year of conducting follow-up interviews with a select group of respondents to explore supplier concerns in more depth. Any suppliers interested in taking part in these interviews should please provide
