Research by the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) has found that 25% of UK suppliers are unaware of The Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) which helps suppliers in their relationships with large retailers, or have a poor understanding of it.
As a result, the British Brands Group, a membership organisation that speaks on behalf of manufacturers, has launched a free-to-enter online quiz to test suppliers’ understanding of GSCOP. The quiz features 12 multiple choice questions and will be updated quarterly. It is free to enter and allows national account managers, sales directors and others to test just how well they know GSCOP.
Retailers’ buyers and other supplier-facing staff are required to be trained in GSCOP and re-trained annually. There is no such requirement on suppliers yet they have the potential to benefit most. The GCA’s supplier research found that well over half of suppliers have not been trained.
The British Brands Group runs two training courses on GSCOP. The full-day introductory course explains GSCOP and how to use it in trade discussions, while the half-day refresher course is for those who have already been trained but want to catch up on the GCA’s latest interpretations of GSCOP and to refresh their knowledge.
Director of the British Brands Group, John Noble, said, “Those suppliers who don’t know their GSCOP or think they know more than they do are missing a big trick. They risk being out-negotiated and having the wool pulled over their eyes. This Quiz is the only tool available that allows any individual to assess free-of-charge just how much, or little, they know.”
The British Brands Group, founded in 1994 as a non-profit-making organisation which seeks to deepen understanding of how brands benefit consumers, society and the economy through the provision of choice, value for money and innovation.
It represents its members collectively when commercial and regulatory issues threaten the ability of brands to deliver value and to be a positive force in society. It also provides the prime forum for its members on brand-related issues.
The British Brands Group is part of a global network of similar brand associations, and is the UK representative of AIM, the European Brands Association, based in Brussels.
For further information, please visit www.GSCOPquiz.co.uk.
Suppliers’ understanding put to the test
