Read about the GCA 2025 Groceries Sector Survey results.
Grocery suppliers to the 14 designated large retailers experienced fewer Code issues and improved treatment by the retailers for the second year running, the 12th GCA survey reveals today [25 June 2025].
The number of suppliers reporting that they faced a Code issue fell from 33% in 2024 to 30% in 2025.
The survey also showed an improvement in Code compliance across the retailers. Average perceived Code compliance rose from 91% in 2024 to 93% in 2025. This was largely driven by improvements at the 5 retailers with the lowest perceived Code compliance in 2024.
There has been improved performance against issues prioritised by the GCA:
- 17% of suppliers said they had experienced inadequate processes and procedures in place to enable invoice discrepancies to be resolved promptly, compared to 21% of suppliers in 2024.
- 11% of suppliers highlighted delays in payments, compared to 14% of suppliers in 2024.
Mark White, the Adjudicator, said:
I'm pleased that average Code compliance has continued to improve across the sector and it's particularly encouraging that the lowest 5 performing retailers have improved perceptions of their overall compliance with the Groceries Code.
I will speak to each retailer about suppliers' views, and I expect them to review their individual survey results and make changes in response to issues impacting suppliers.
When I raise issues with retailers, I do so in a way that protects suppliers' confidentiality and not reveal which suppliers I've spoken to or even what products they supply.
Compliance performance
Overall compliance scores across the retailers ranged from 98% to 66%, with an average compliance across all 14 retailers of 93% compared to 91% in 2024.
Perceptions of 8 retailers' Code compliance improved by a percentage or more (when rounded to whole percentages), including the 5 retailers with the lowest perceived compliance in 2024.
Waitrose had the highest perceived Code compliance at 98%.
Next steps
The GCA will work with the retailers on their plans to address the issues raised by their suppliers in the survey.
YouGov will undertake a series of deep-dive interviews with suppliers on the GCA's behalf. The results will provide deeper insights into suppliers' experiences supplying the retailers and will be shared at the GCA's 2025 annual conference on 30 September 2025. Details of the conference will be published on the GCA website.
