What Does GSCOP Stand For?
GSCOP stands for:
Groceries Supply Code Of Practice
What is GSCOP?
GSCOP, or the Groceries Supply Code of Practice, is a piece of UK government legislation. It puts certain restrictions on the purchasing activities of the very biggest supermarket chains. The intent of the legislation is to protect suppliers from some of their more extreme buying practices. The Groceries Code came into force in 2010, with the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) appointed in 2013.
How Does it Affect You?
The Code states that supermarket buyers have to be trained in the legislation each and every year. Supermarkets also have to appoint a ‘Code Compliance Officer’ which is someone that suppliers can speak to if they have a query or dispute.
What Does it Cover?
GSCOP doesn’t cover all supermarkets and all products. Initially, only 10 ‘designated retailers’ with grocery sales above £1 billion were covered by the legislation: Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Aldi, Lidl, Co-Op, Marks and Spencer, Waitrose and Iceland. Two more were added in November 2018, B&M and Ocado.
What’s the Purpose of the Code?
GSCOP seeks to regulate certain aspects of the commercial relationship between supermarkets and suppliers. It aims to prevent potential abuses. This is due to the huge imbalance of power in the UK grocery supply chain as explained earlier.
What Does the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) Do?
The GCA currently occupied by Christine Tacon who has been in place since the Adjudicator position was first created in 2013. The Groceries Code Adjudicator ensures supermarkets adhere to the code. The Adjudicator has the power to fine supermarkets up to 1 % of their sales if the code is not properly adhered to, for Tesco this could be over £500m.
GSCOP Products
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| The Ultimate Guide to GSCOP |
 | A Complete Understanding of the Groceries Supply Code of Practice Book |
 | GSCOP: Book Author Masterclass
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Additional Resources
 | The Groceries Supply Code of Practice Aware Association |
 | Our 1 Page Infographic |
 | GSCOP One Minute Videos on YouTube
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