A number of major French retailers have signed a "Responsible Supplier Relations" charter, which will introduce a label assuring good practice on the part of retailers in dealing with suppliers.
The boon for suppliers is that among the pusillanimous practices to be eradicated (at least in theory) are the cancellation of orders "without notice or compensation, except for legitimate reasons", and "long-term contracts without a price adjustment clause (raw materials, regulatory requirements, etc)."
The signatories include the French Agri-Food Federation, the Cooperative Society, the Retailer Federation, Système U, Auchan, Carrefour and Cora. Intermarché and Casino will sign in the near future, though it is unlikely that Leclerc will do so.
The charter was signed in the presence of the Minister for Agriculture, Stéphane Le Foll, and Pierre Pelouzet, the National Ombudsman governing business relations.
The label is valid for three years.
© 2014 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article written by Peter Donnelly
