Groceries Code Adjudicator has warned of a rise in supplier issues despite overall compliance with the Groceries Code remaining high, according to its latest annual survey.

The grocery regulatory body’s survey, conducted by YouGov, gathered responses from more than 2,600 suppliers, including over 2,400 direct suppliers.

It found the proportion of suppliers reporting a Code issue increased to 32 per cent, up from 30 per cent last year, although more than half said they experienced no problems when dealing with the UK’s 14 largest grocery retailers.

Among the most common concerns, supermarket suppliers mentioned delays in resolving invoice discrepancies, inaccurate forecasting leading to added costs, de-listing without reasonable notice and late payments.

Overall compliance across retailers remained strong at 92 per cent, with Waitrose ranked the most compliant for the second consecutive year. Meanwhile, Amazon remained at the bottom of the table, despite a slight improvement in score.

“I am concerned that despite overall Code compliance remaining high, there has been a small increase in suppliers experiencing issues,” said the Groceries Code Adjudicator Mark White.

“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.”

The GCA said it will now work with retailers to address the issues raised, alongside further supplier interviews ahead of its annual conference in September.

Looking ahead, it also reiterated guidance to retailers on handling cost price increases, particularly in light of ongoing global pressures, and encouraged suppliers to report concerns confidentially.

Last week, the government confirmed that  the GCA will transfer from the Department for Business and Trade to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) from 1 July 2026, in a move aimed at improving fairness across the food supply chain.

Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter