Morrisons faces supplier backlash over demands for spend to be brought forward
Morrisons is facing a backlash after telling suppliers it wants them to bring forward millions of pounds of spending to help it hit revised financial targets under CEO Rami Baitiéh’s turnaround plans. The supermarket is understood to have contacted suppliers across a raft of categories in what sources described as “bullish” demands for investment due […]
GSCOP needs a high-profile win. The GCA should fine Amazon
GSCOP needs a high-profile win to re-engage suppliers and drive long-term progress on retailer compliance, says David Sables, CEO of Sentinel Management Consultants.
Amazon: GCA launches official investigation into supplier payment delays
The Groceries Code Adjudicator is today launching an investigation into online giant Amazon over alleged delay in payments to suppliers. The announcement comes just days before he is due to publish the findings of his latest supplier survey. The GCA said he had “reasonable grounds” to suspect that Amazon had breached paragraph 5 of the […]
As food inflation returns, government is looking desperate
It’s tough for retailers to make strategic choices right now. Put simply, UK food retailers are faced with rapid increases in operational costs and an inability to raise prices. However, price increases now remain their only choice. P&Ls cannot sustain the pressures around them. Having seen the scale of CPIs in the pipeline, two months […]
Buyer negotiations for branded suppliers are as fraught as ever
The Grocer article on buyer negotiations on 5 April caught my attention. The feature was clearly written about farming and produce, but the generic headline suggested all buyer-supplier relations are changing to be more collaborative and proactive. Some branded suppliers found it misleading, as their dealings with retailers have certainly not become any easier.
Even a second cost of living crisis can’t help Asda now
Allan Leighton’s price strategy is a desperate dice-roll and I believe it has no chance of working, says David Sables, CEO of Sentinel Management Consultants.
Amazon ruins GSCOP’s reputation. Why is the GCA allowing it?
Mark White took over as Groceries Code Adjudicator in October 2020. As measured by the YouGov GCA annual survey, the percentage of suppliers experiencing GSCOP-related issues was 29% at the time, having declined consistently year on year from 79% in 2014. Since then, the issues have risen to 35%, 36% and then 33% in the 2024 survey. This doesn’t […]
Big four must differentiate to avoid further job cuts
Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Morrisons have announced job losses in the thousands, citing various reasons. Morrisons outright blamed the government’s budget and Sainsbury’s indirectly blamed it, saying it will need to work with suppliers to keep prices down. The budget has put a burden of millions on retail, and it’s very difficult to see how the government is pro-business as it ploughs ahead with further […]
Fmcg innovation is worse than ever. Here’s why
Just over 1% of product launches in the UK are ‘distinctive innovation’. So concluded the innovation report commissioned by the British Brands Group last year, which identified only 77 products that met the criteria in 2021. The remaining 5,423 were only ‘everyday innovation’, found the study, published in The Grocer in May. This is a […]
As Business’s Globally are asking their staff to return back to the office, should Government’s really get involved in this process ?
Government is planning to allow all UK employees to request a flexible working arrangement from their first day at a new employer. If this goes any ahead, it could be another blunder that makes life more difficult for employers. I have top-level contacts in many organisations, and to understand their needs and challenges I regularly meet […]
