Senior executives from five of the biggest supermarket chains
will be questioned about retailers' role in the food supply
chain, by MPs on the cross-party EFRA Committee on Tuesday at
2.30pm.
The session will be an opportunity for MPs to examine the impact
of food price inflation on supermarkets, manufacturers,
suppliers, and consumers.
As part of their ongoing inquiry into fairness in the food supply
chain, the Committee has so far taken evidence from academics,
food producers, and manufacturers. In this fourth evidence
session, MPs' focus will be on the relationship between food
production costs, food prices and retail prices, and how
structural relationships between food producers, manufacturers,
and retailers could be improved.
Witnesses will be questioned on the nature of retailers' profits
in the context of the high food price environment and how they
ensure that profits are distributed throughout their supply
chains. They will also be asked about the extent to which the
position of consumers is considered when setting
prices.
The session will also see retailers questioned about the practice
of shrinkflation and MPs are likely to ask whether retailers
should be doing more to inform customers when package sizes have
been reduced.
In previous evidence to the Committee, MPs heard that retailers
sometimes brand products in ways which could be misleading for
consumers, and they are likely to ask witnesses how supermarkets'
labelling practices affect consumer confidence and
understanding.
Witnesses from 14.30 on Tuesday 30 April:
- Dom Morrey, Commercial Director for
Fresh Food, Tesco
- Rhian Bartlett, Chief Food
Commercial Director, Sainsbury's
- Kris Comerford, Chief Commercial
Officer for Food, Asda
- Charlotte Di Cello, Commercial
Director, Waitrose
- Richard Bourns, Chief Commercial
Officer, Lidl GB
