As predicted by us last week Tesco climb above JS & the bottom three don't change. With the merger between JS & Asda front of mind for many suppliers how will they be feeling about the fact that only 24% of suppliers believe tradin…lnkd.in/dGWB-D3 lnkd.in/dkvwgK4

'Strategic alliances', 'mega-mergers' and market consolidation, why? Both Mike Coupe & Dave Lewis have said that the aim of these mergers / alliances is to lower costs and improve choice and value for customers. Alexandre Bompard,…lnkd.in/gWBUiwk lnkd.in/ghfD755

So the reason for the slow down in growth is because of the 'level of price reductions we have made in key areas like fresh meat, fruit and vegetables since March.' said Mike Coupe. It will be interesting to see what a 10% reductio…lnkd.in/gwrN3SR lnkd.in/gmjJqZq

The big keep getting bigger, ever searching for growth and the cycle continues. However what we are seeing is that as the consolidation of the larger players, either in the retailer or supplier arenas there opportunities for new, i…lnkd.in/ggSSTzC lnkd.in/gUxzTeK

Alistair Maiden interesting times..... lnkd.in/ghVXQvB

#showcasingscotland If you supply the 10 large UK retailers you need to know about #GSCOP it's there to protect you. gov.uk/GCA

At gscop.co.uk we have seen forecasting become one of the biggest issues for suppliers this year. With over 200 delegates trained so far this year, when asked what the two biggest issues are 1/3rd of suppliers said that inflation & forecasting…lnkd.in/gzvyS75

At gscop.co.uk we know the importance of partnerships between retailers and suppliers. Without true partnerships it is extremely difficult for both parties to engage in any discussions beyond price. These short term discussions don't add value…lnkd.in/eeMiRQx

GSCOP Limited are pleased to be partnering with the FDF to offer a commercial skills course. It takes place on 10th May at their offices in London. Get in touch to find out [email protected] lnkd.in/eZfxGgR

A busy week for the GCA, on Monday the 2018 annual survey was launched & then yesterday she announced an investigation into Co-op. The investigation will focus on a project that took place in 2016/17 where the Co-op were focusing on their own label range.…lnkd.in/dvQAkpX

Make your views heard, it will take less than 10 minutes and the retailers really take note of the results. Who has improved, who has more to do? The Code covers in excess of 8000 suppliers so why have there never been more than 12…lnkd.in/d_THQMQ lnkd.in/dq3PDZQ

In what is one of the most competitive markets in the world it shows how important having a clear identity & purpose is. Over the past couple of years the Co-op have gone 'back to basics'. It has been more than just bringing back a…lnkd.in/dhmB34p lnkd.in/dzC4W9m

Here is a link to the latest YouTube piece from Christine Tacon the Groceries Code Adjudicator. It contains key messages for all suppliers covered by the Code, not only about the importance of training but also the fact that all bu…lnkd.in/dR7wUNr lnkd.in/dNxJv8i

This was always going to happen...these aren't 'anomalies', they are based on the size of business & the cost to serve, one is a £47bn business & the other is £6bn. If a supplier is delivering to a retailers depot full pallets and…lnkd.in/d7_Ni5p lnkd.in/d5tk-Gd

At GSCOP Limited we have delivered over 50 GSCOP training workshops, the most consistent feedback that we get is the lack of Supply Agreements. A Supply Agreement is made up of Ts &Cs as well as all other ongoing communication, ema…lnkd.in/dr6AvhR lnkd.in/dapWHTb

So consolidation in the UK retail industry continues...Let's see how this will impact suppliers who are currently experiencing the benefits of the Tesco / Booker merger. When Nisa become part of the Co-op then they will be covered…lnkd.in/dVsU2sV lnkd.in/dc5axiq

Asda-Sainsbury's suppliers 'face massive squeeze on prices' £350m of buying benefits through harmonised buying terms? Really? Where are these benefits going to come from? Are the terms that these two retailers are getting so differ…lnkd.in/dMwAJMr lnkd.in/da-QndQ

So the discounters are growing at their lowest level since 2010 and both Asda and Sainsburys are losing share... Both Tesco and Morrisons are holding share indicating that retail is about having a laser like vision. Knowing who you…lnkd.in/ddKDcdM lnkd.in/dBB5dHU

Adjudicator to cover Amazon and Ocado within a year, Alliance Boots & B & M also written to by CMA. Christine Tacon told the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Committee that the CMA are writing to retailers after doing the analysis…lnkd.in/dE9FaP3 lnkd.in/dsE5etd

Mid week thoughts on a week of change in UK retail, what will happen by the end of the week..... lnkd.in/e8tB2n4