Edition 44: News from the Adjudicator

Edition 44: News from the Adjudicator
GCA 2026 annual conference
My annual conference is taking place on Tuesday 29 September.
The conference will bring together suppliers, retailers and industry representatives. It will reflect on the GCA’s work to ensure fair treatment of suppliers and on the support available to suppliers, including how they can raise issues in confidence. YouGov will also present a detailed analysis of the 2026 annual survey results.
Register to attend the conference here.
Managing Cost Price Increases
Inflation has been in the headlines in recent months and I am mindful that many in the groceries sector are closely watching costs and prices every day. I have heard from both suppliers and the designated retailers how rising costs are impacting their businesses.
Cost prices are negotiated and agreed between retailers and their direct suppliers. Neither the Groceries Code nor the GCA determine the outcome of those negotiations. I am determined though that the process of negotiation be fair: prompt responses, no surprises, and appropriate use of evidence. My 7 Golden Rules, published in 2022, have shaped retailers’ best practice, reducing suppliers’ exposure to the excessive risks and unexpected costs that can prevent them from investing and innovating.
If costs rise in the coming months and the volume of Cost Price Increase (CPI) requests increases, then the retailers, suppliers, and the GCA all need to be ready.
I expect the retailers to get their processes right now before further CPI requests come through. The 7 Golden Rules are clear and in my recent meetings with all 14 Code Compliance Officers I have ensured that the retailers have built their CPI processes and buyer training around these Rules. Retailers clearly understand that they must conduct negotiations fairly.
Suppliers also have preparation to do, including understanding how the Code protects them. If you think a retailer has breached the Code or is not following the 7 Golden Rules, you can:
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Contact the CCO. They will maintain your confidentiality and the retailers have all committed to ensuring you won’t suffer negative consequences for raising an issue.
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Confidentially email the GCA or use my anonymous reporting platform, Tell the GCA.
As GCA, I’ll continue to ensure that retailers are treating suppliers fairly and delivering agreed best practice when suppliers request CPIs. I’ll continue to talk to suppliers, ensuring their experience is as it should be. I am determined that negotiations be fair; where I hear it isn’t, I will not hesitate to intervene.
Amazon investigation
On 20 June 2025, I launched a targeted investigation into whether Amazon.com, Inc. (Amazon) has breached paragraph 5 of the Code (No delay in Payments).
I had reasonable grounds to suspect a breach of paragraph 5 from 1 March 2022 to 20 June 2025. The investigation is examining the extent of any breach, its impact on suppliers and the root causes, focusing in particular on goods receipt and payment processes, handling of deductions, and the use of deduction settlements in commercial negotiations.
The Code requirement is clear. Suppliers must be paid in accordance with their supply agreement and, in any case, within a reasonable time after the date of the supplier’s invoice. Delays in payment can cause significant harm, exposing suppliers to excessive risk and unexpected cost.
The investigation is ongoing. I have received information from suppliers about Amazon’s compliance in response to my call for evidence and have interviewed suppliers. I have also received information from Amazon. I am analysing this evidence and will complete the investigation as soon as possible, taking into consideration the seriousness and complexity of the subject matter.
As with all my work, I have a duty to protect supplier confidentiality. All information provided by suppliers will be kept confidential, and evidence is treated in line with the GCA’s statutory obligations.
Annual report and accounts
I published my annual report and accounts covering the 2025/26 financial year earlier today. It covers the GCA’s work during the period, which ensured that, notwithstanding a small increase in suppliers facing Code issues, the level of compliance remained high across the sector.
In my foreword to the annual report, I explained:
“In 2026/27, I aim to reverse the fall in perceived Code compliance as shown in this year’s survey and to reduce the occurrence of the Code issues that suppliers report most. I will continue to focus proportionately on Code compliance in relation to delays in payment, forecasting, marketing costs, and de-listing practices.
“I will pursue these priorities through targeted engagement with CCOs and senior leadership at Retailers, close monitoring of Retailers’ actions and assurance arrangements and continued engagement with suppliers about the issues that they are facing.”
Further information
- If you would like to contact the GCA confidentially about a Code issue, please email enquiries@groceriescode.gov.uk or report issues anonymously via telltheGCA.co.uk.