Christine Tacon, the UK’s first Groceries Code Adjudicator, has
announced she will step down from the role at the end of this
week, handing over to her successor Mark White.
She said:
I agreed to stay on beyond the end of my second term to oversee
any COVID-related issues that may have arisen in the early days
and weeks of the pandemic. That responsibility has now been
discharged.
I urged suppliers to bring any Code-related issues to me
without delay and I have been maintaining regular contacts with
the retailers’ Code Compliance Officers to monitor whether any
issues linked to COVID had been raised with them. None have
been reported.
As it is now over six months since supply arrangements had to
be reviewed and revised to ensure essential groceries reached
the supermarket shelves at the onset of the lockdown I would
not expect any supplier now to raise an issue based on those
actions. As a result I can now step down and formally hand over
to Mark.
Ms Tacon said the response from both retailers and suppliers to
the significant challenge of the COVID emergency had demonstrated
that the Code provided the flexibility both parties needed to
maintain the supply of groceries to consumers in all
circumstances.
I am aware that sales of certain essential products appear to
be accelerating again but I am confident this development will
be well handled with proven, effective processes and ways of
working established.
The GCA’s Annual Report had shown significant improvement in the
groceries sector throughout her seven years in office, with
suppliers reporting year-on-year improvements in retailer
behaviour.
I am very proud of the progress we have achieved working
together in the sector since I became GCA in June 2013 and I
will continue to watch how all the retailers maintain good
levels of compliance under Mark White’s leadership. I wish him
all the best in what has for me been a very fulfilling role.
