Mark White the Groceries Code Adjudicator has launched the annual Groceries Code Adjudicator survey. In his first year as GCA he is keen to receive early information about how the sector is operating in such challenging times.

The survey is a valuable opportunity for suppliers to tell the GCA about any Code issues they are facing and whether the regulated retailers are treating them fairly and lawfully. For the first time the survey will also ask suppliers to provide positive feedback about their retailers as well as saying what has not worked so well.

This will be the eighth year the survey has been conducted and, as in previous years, it will be carried out by independent polling company YouGov providing complete confidentiality for those who take part.

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Mark White said: “This survey will be immensely valuable in helping me identify the issues the groceries sector is facing as well as guiding my future work. What suppliers tell me is particularly important as this is my first year as GCA and the sector is still working under the challenges of Covid and Brexit so I am asking them to be as frank as possible. Their answers can help their businesses.

This year’s survey has two innovations. First, suppliers are also being asked to provide positive feedback where retailers have been doing a good job so the GCA can highlight success and share good practice. Second, YouGov will carry out some detailed interviews with suppliers after the main survey has closed to gather more information on particular areas that emerge from the responses.

Suppliers interested in taking part in these interviews should provide contact details at the end of the survey. As with survey responses any information gathered from follow-up interviews will be treated with complete confidence.”

The survey closes on 21 February 2021 and the GCA will publish the results later in the spring/summer on the website as well as in a special edition of “News from the Adjudicator”.