>>hope of changing the code is lost. What now?
>>THE ISSUES THAT MATTER, FROM THE PEOPLE INVOLVED
Ask suppliers and independent retailers what the ‘f’ in OFT stands for, and you get a number of amusing answers that cannot be printed here. But the one word you will not hear is ‘fair’.
The OFT’s latest peek into the efficacy of the code of practice has caused outrage among those interested in maintaining a diverse and sustainable food sector in this country. The Office of Furthering Tesco, to give it just one of its nicknames, not only thinks there are no grounds for a new inquiry, but actually believes the code is working successfully. The many stories we hear at The Grocer would say otherwise, as would the surveys of suppliers we have undertaken in the past. But these companies are still understandably reluctant to come forward.
Which makes the OFT’s job difficult. It, quite rightly, demands specific evidence upon which to act. In private, its members may well feel supermarkets are now too powerful and that diversity on the high street is sadly disappearing, but this is not its remit. They are issues for wider government.
This subject is complex. Ask consumers for views about supermarkets and they will talk about low prices, choice and convenience. You cannot force consumers through the doors of independent retailers any more than you can force them to visit Woolies, M&S or WHSmith. And, if consumers are happy with a restricted choice of stores from which to shop (all offering the same safe brands from the same global suppliers, who incidentally will not be manufacturing in the UK), as is the logical conclusion if smaller retailers and suppliers are unable to compete, then that is surely their lookout.
But I feel sad to represent an industry in which people are frightened of raising concerns or complaints. And I just don’t understand how that helps bring value back to our sector and generate sustainable growth. I also wonder what Tony Blair and Co would think if one or two newspapers controlled the media offer thanks to the fact they had squeezed out rivals through undercutting prices, ubiquity and ‘offering what consumers wanted’. Say The Daily Mail and The Telegraph?
The campaign to change the code is lost. The next phase of the battle has to concentrate on winning the hearts and minds of government and the consumer.
fear ruled the day, alas
>>THE ISSUES THAT MATTER, FROM THE PEOPLE INVOLVED
Ask suppliers and independent retailers what the ‘f’ in OFT stands for, and you get a number of amusing answers that cannot be printed here. But the one word you will not hear is ‘fair’.
The OFT’s latest peek into the efficacy of the code of practice has caused outrage among those interested in maintaining a diverse and sustainable food sector in this country. The Office of Furthering Tesco, to give it just one of its nicknames, not only thinks there are no grounds for a new inquiry, but actually believes the code is working successfully. The many stories we hear at The Grocer would say otherwise, as would the surveys of suppliers we have undertaken in the past. But these companies are still understandably reluctant to come forward.
Which makes the OFT’s job difficult. It, quite rightly, demands specific evidence upon which to act. In private, its members may well feel supermarkets are now too powerful and that diversity on the high street is sadly disappearing, but this is not its remit. They are issues for wider government.
This subject is complex. Ask consumers for views about supermarkets and they will talk about low prices, choice and convenience. You cannot force consumers through the doors of independent retailers any more than you can force them to visit Woolies, M&S or WHSmith. And, if consumers are happy with a restricted choice of stores from which to shop (all offering the same safe brands from the same global suppliers, who incidentally will not be manufacturing in the UK), as is the logical conclusion if smaller retailers and suppliers are unable to compete, then that is surely their lookout.
But I feel sad to represent an industry in which people are frightened of raising concerns or complaints. And I just don’t understand how that helps bring value back to our sector and generate sustainable growth. I also wonder what Tony Blair and Co would think if one or two newspapers controlled the media offer thanks to the fact they had squeezed out rivals through undercutting prices, ubiquity and ‘offering what consumers wanted’. Say The Daily Mail and The Telegraph?
The campaign to change the code is lost. The next phase of the battle has to concentrate on winning the hearts and minds of government and the consumer.
fear ruled the day, alas
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