'Reach out and talk to us:' Grocery code office president on how members can raise issues
The Office of the Grocery Sector Code of Conduct (OGSCC) recently released its first public report, which gives an overview of its activities since the Code was fully implemented this year. Karen Proud, president and adjudicator of the OGSCC, spoke to Canadian Grocer about the Office’s early days in an interview that has been edited for length.
One of the early observations from the spring report is that member organizations are reluctant to raise concerns with designated code representatives. Why is this the case and how can this situation be improved?
This is not at all surprising especially if we look at the experience in the UK. They’ve had a Code for about a decade. In their first year of operation, nobody spoke to the office there. So, I think we’re already ahead of the game where we have identified a hesitancy of members to engage each other. But they are engaging. It’s not huge numbers at this stage but we are seeing engagement, so that’s very positive. Based on the conversations I’ve had, there’s concern about commercial relationships and not wanting to do anything that could jeopardize those relationships. And that’s to be expected. I think there’s a need for education about how engagement with the Office works and the fact we keep things confidential.
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The Office received nine issue submissions in the first five months of 2026, with most involving supplier concerns with retailers. Were you expecting these numbers?
We weren’t really sure what to expect. If we base it on what had happened in the UK then yes, I think these numbers are actually better than the experience when they first rolled out the Code. We weren’t sure when we started whether we’d get this flood of complaints coming in. We were prepared for that, but honestly I didn’t expect a deluge of information coming through our portal. We’re learning from having that in place what works and what doesn’t. One of the big changes we made is we’re now allowing for anonymous reporting. Before, when members would report through our portal, the Office would know who made the report. We never disclosed the information, but we would be aware who made the report. Now we’re offering an option where members can report completely anonymously. I think that may help people feel more comfortable in sharing information knowing that we won’t know at all who’s giving that information other than the fact they’re a member.
What practical tips can you share with members who are currently reluctant to raise concerns with designated Code representatives or to report issues to the Office?
I frequently tell people we’re not sitting here trying to dream up what people’s issues may be. Our business is focused on addressing issues that are raised bv the industry and we prioritize the work that we do based on the information that is shared with us. My advice to members who have joined is to take advantage of that and to reach out and talk to us. We operate on strict confidence. I never disclose any conversations that I’ve had. It’s a fundamental tenet of our work. When it comes to engaging amongst themselves, I know it’s challenging and difficult and people are reluctant to engage for fear of damage to the business relationship, but Code representatives have been designated to do exactly that. They should not hesitate to reach out to the Code reps if they do continue to have concerns.
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What signs of positive impacts have you seen since the Office began operating?
A number of very positive things. We’ve grown our numbers of membership. It has plateaued a bit, but we have over 200 members representing more than 90% of the total grocery business. We have at least 99% of the largest suppliers and all the large grocers have joined in so that’s all very positive. We’ve also heard from organizations that the Code language is being used in discussions amongst business partners. There have been cases, and I’ll use the example of independent grocers, where they have felt there has been issues related to the Code, specifically where they may have been shorted on a supply that they felt was not fair or in cases where prices were changed and they were not notified, I’ve heard that they have raised these issues with their suppliers in the context of the Code, and those issues have been fixed immediately. So far, we have seen very positive trends and a willingness of the industry to take the Code seriously and to take action as Code issues have been raised.
