Aldi has topped the Groceries Code Adjudicator’s (GCA) annual survey for the sixth year in a row, with 97% of suppliers saying the discounter complied consistently well or mostly well with the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP).
Sainsbury’s was ranked in second place with a score of 96%, followed by Waitrose on 95%.
The Co-op came in at tenth place with a score of 90% but topped the table as the biggest improver after significant scrutiny from the GCA Christine Tacon following a year-long investigation which found that the retailer had breached the Code.
B&M, which last year joined the list of retailers regulated by the GCA, came bottom with 81% of suppliers saying it complied well or mostly well.
After setting out her vision for the future of the GCA at her annual conference yesterday, Ms Tacon highlighted that there had been a continuing improvement in retailer behaviour. For the second year running only four out of ten suppliers reported having experienced an issue at any point in the year.
Last year’s top concern for suppliers – delay in payments – fell from 19% to 13% in a period when the retailers’ response to the issue was under formal monitoring by the GCA. Forecasting is now the issue most reported by suppliers – but that too has continued to decline.
Commenting on topping the GCA’s ranking again, Julie Ashfield, Managing Director of Buying at Aldi, said: “This reflects the close relationship we have with suppliers, which is built on mutual trust and understanding. The partnerships we have established with our suppliers over many years allow us to source the very best products for our customers.
“As we move towards our long-term target of 1,200 stores by 2025, this presents an opportunity for our suppliers to grow with us too. We currently source from more than 1,000 British businesses and look forward to working with many more in the coming years.”
