Farmfoods

Farmfoods ‘strengthened its store estate by closing some smaller retail sites which had come to the end of their lease while opening larger retail stores’

Farmfoods has notched up its third year in a row with turnover in excess of £1bn, the usual threshold for retailers to be policed by the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA).

The frozen food retailer’s turnover rose by 18.4% to £1.2bn in the 53 weeks to 3 January 2026, according to newly filed accounts at Companies House.

Profit after tax tumbled by 63% to £8.6m despite the sales growth, amid “significant increased cost pressures during 2025”. “However, measures taken throughout the business to mitigate their impact, while honouring our commitment to keep prices low for our customers, resulted in higher turnover,” the accounts said.

Operating profit also increased, by 14.9% 10 £11.4m.

Farmfoods’ turnover first breached £1bn in 2023, when it hit £1.02bn. It rose again by 2.6% to £1.04bn in 2024.

Its further 18.4% rise in 2025 is a step up that puts it comfortably above the £1bn threshold at which retailers have previously been added to the list of those required to comply with the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP).

GSCOP exists to ensure the UK’s largest grocery retailers treat suppliers fairly. The GCA was established in 2013 to enforce the code and monitor compliance, including surveying suppliers annually. Mark White has served in the post since 2020.

Official GCA guidance to suppliers says: “The code covers retailers in the UK with an annual turnover of more than £1bn with respect to the retail supply of groceries in the UK.”

However, to be brought into scope a retailer must be designated for inclusion by the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA), which carries out an annual review of businesses to determine whether any should be added.

The list of designated retailers currently runs to 14: Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Aldi, Lidl, Morrisons, Co-op, M&S, Waitrose, Iceland, Ocado, B&MHome Bargains and Amazon.

The most recent addition was Amazon, which the CMA designated in 2022 after deeming it had reached the necessary £1bn in UK grocery turnover.

B&M and Ocado were designated in 2018, with the former dropping legal action to contest the decision the following year. Home Bargains was added in 2019.

The CMA, GCA and Farmfoods were approached for comment.

Farmfoods’ cost mitigating measures in 2025 included enhancing its core frozen range and new product development in grocery and household, according to the accounts.

The retailer also “strengthened its store estate by closing some smaller retail sites which had come to the end of their lease while opening larger retail stores more suited to the ongoing requirements of the business”.