February/March 2025: Record of the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) progress meetings with Code Compliance Officers (CCOs)
Published 14 March 2025
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1. Attendees
The GCA (Mark White) and members of his team met with the CCOs and other representatives from the designated retailers (Retailers) as follows:
1.1 Friday 28 February 2025
- Amazon.com, Inc
- Lidl GB Ltd
1.2 Monday 3 March 2025
- Co-operative Group Ltd
- Ocado Retail Ltd
1.3 Wednesday 5 March 2025
- Waitrose Ltd
- Wm Morrison Supermarkets Ltd
1.4 Thursday 6 March 2025
- Marks and Spencer plc
- TJ Morris Ltd (trading as Home Bargains)
1.5 Friday 7 March 2025
- J Sainsbury plc
- Tesco plc
1.6 Monday 10 March 2025
- Iceland Foods Ltd
1.7 Wednesday 12 March 2025
- Asda Stores Ltd
1.8 Thursday 14 March 2025
- Aldi Stores Ltd
- B&M European Value Retail SA
2. Key points
2.1 Retailer update
CCOs provided updates to the GCA about compliance activities including actions arising from the October/November 2024 Retailer meetings, reported Code-related issues, topical matters, and any upcoming initiatives likely to generate enquiries to the GCA.
The GCA noted the importance of Retailers’ written progress reports to the GCA’s collaborative approach. The GCA discussed with each Retailer the quality of its reporting and any changes necessary to efficiently enable the GCA to enforce the Code.
2.2 GCA survey
The GCA and Retailers discussed ongoing actions to address areas of concern identified in the GCA’s annual survey of suppliers for 2024. Retailers presented progress against agreed actions, including the impact of the actions and any feedback received from suppliers.
The GCA confirmed that the 2025 survey had closed on 23 February as planned and the GCA and Retailers discussed the effectiveness of Retailers’ promotion of the survey. The GCA explained when Retailers could expect to receive the survey results.
Following discussion at the October/November 2024 Retailer meetings, the GCA and Retailers discussed any matters related to potential adjustments to Retailer facing elements of the annual survey from 2026.
2.3 Cost price negotiations
The GCA and Retailers discussed patterns of cost changes in the grocery sector that could lead to cost price increase (CPI) and cost price decrease (CPD) requests. The GCA reminded Retailers to conduct any negotiations fairly and reiterated that the GCA expects the application of the 7 Golden Rules to CPI requests and of their principles to CPD requests.
2.4 Any other business
The GCA and Retailers discussed any other business specific to each Retailer.