There has been a small increase in suppliers facing Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCoP) issues in the past year, the Groceries Code Adjudicator’s (GCA) annual survey has revealed.
The number of suppliers who said they experienced a code issue over the past 12 months rose from 30% to 32%, GCA said. Despite that, more than 50% of suppliers reported experiencing no issues when supplying the 14 designated retailers.
The most common issues highlighted by the 2,600-plus responses surrounded retailer processes for promptly resolving invoice discrepancies (raised by 20% of suppliers), suppliers incurring significant costs because of inaccurate forecasting (18%), de-listing without reasonable notice (15%), and delays in payment (14%).
Adjudicator Mark White said: “I am concerned that despite overall code compliance remaining high, there has been a small increase in suppliers experiencing issues. The findings are a critical reminder that the retailers must focus on ensuring code compliance. I am determined that they do.
“I will ensure that each retailer is investigating and taking action to resolve the issues that their suppliers report. I want to thank every supplier who responded to the survey. Your input will help me to drive improvements over the year ahead.”
White noted that while the perceptions of some retailers’ code compliance declined in the 2026 annual survey, the average across the 14 designated retailers remained high, at 92%.
Compliance scores ranged from 98% to 69%, with Waitrose perceived to be the most compliant retailer for the second year in a row.