Supermarkets favoured by biased code, warn suppliers_3
18 July 2012
Revamped guidelines to settle disputes in the food retail sector have been watered down and will not curb supermarkets’ powerful grip on suppliers, trade bodies have warned.
Supplier groups including the British Brands Group (BBG) and the Fair Deal Group (FDG) claim the code of practice, drawn up by the Office of Fair Trading, favours supermarkets when in dispute with their suppliers.
The code says supermarkets should negotiate “in good faith” with suppliers for up to 90 days, after which they should use an independent mediator....