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Edition 45: News from the Adjudicator

Read the latest newsletter from the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA).

From:
Groceries Code Adjudicator
Published:
9 October 2026

GCA 2026 annual conference

Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s GCA conference. The conference was a valuable opportunity to hear directly from suppliers and to discuss how we can make it easier and safer for them to raise Code issues.

My main message to suppliers was simple: you can raise issues confidently, knowing that doing so will make things better, not worse.

YouGov presented the findings from interviews it had conducted with suppliers, explaining what gives suppliers confidence to raise issues and what may prevent them from doing so.

Confidence in confidentiality

Some of the suppliers YouGov interviewed were uncertain how I use the information they share. They may know that I use that information to tackle Code issues and improve fairness in the sector, but they might not understand how I can do so without revealing who has contacted me.

Let me be clear: your identity is protected by law, and I will not compromise your anonymity.

I can raise issues without revealing who contacted me. For example, I may:

  • strip out identifying information, including the supplier’s category and detail of exchanges with buyers.
  • speak to trade associations to establish whether others are experiencing the same issue and build an anonymised picture.
  • ask a CCO to explain how the retailer is preventing a Code issue more generally, including through its processes, buyer behaviour and training.

This approach works. Retailers are routinely resolving Code issues that suppliers have told me about, all without compromising suppliers’ anonymity.

Safe to speak up

Interviewees also expressed concerns about retailers retaliating against them for raising an issue. I take these concerns seriously, but I was glad that YouGov found that suppliers’ experiences of engaging with CCOs in practice were generally positive.

I discussed suppliers’ concerns during the conference with Elizabeth Granger and Robert Skelton, the CCOs for TJ Morris and Ocado.

All CCOs have personally committed to protecting supplier confidentiality. All 14 retailers have also committed to ensuring suppliers don’t face retaliation for raising issues with their buyers, the CCO or anyone else. Elizabeth and Robert explained how they receive and resolve issues while protecting suppliers’ confidentiality.

In my regular progress meetings with CCOs, we discuss issues raised with retailers, what has been done to resolve them, and how the retailer will check that the supplier has not experienced retaliation.

I expect CCOs to follow up after an issue has been resolved and check that raising it has not negatively affected the supplier’s business. I monitor how retailers meet this commitment.

I also monitor to ensure that all retailers are adhering to their commitments.

I will explain more about how I use progress meetings to improve Code compliance in a future newsletter. If there are other aspects of my work you want to hear more about, please let my team know at enquiries@groceriescode.gov.uk.

You can approach me or retailers’ CCOs in confidence. I will handle your concerns confidentially, and I am determined that you don’t face negative consequences for speaking up.

Further information

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