Amazon has once again been ranked the worst UK food retailer in terms of compliance with the Groceries Supply Code of Practice, according to the country's grocery watchdog.
Despite showing improvement since last year, the tech giant still lags significantly behind its competitors.
The 2025 annual survey by the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA), published Wednesday, found that only 66.4% of Amazon’s suppliers believed the company "consistently" or "mostly" followed the industry Code. While this marks a rise from just 47% in 2024, Amazon still came in last place out of 14 major UK grocery retailers—trailing Lidl, the second-lowest, by nearly 25 percentage points.
Amazon, which sells groceries through its website and Amazon Fresh stores in the UK, has been subject to the Code since 2022. The Groceries Supply Code of Practice is designed to ensure that large retailers treat their suppliers fairly, covering areas such as payment practices, dispute resolution, and contract changes.
The GCA's report comes just a week after it opened a formal investigation into Amazon, examining whether the company failed to make timely payments to suppliers over the past three years.
Responding to the survey, an Amazon spokesperson said the company was encouraged by signs of progress:
"We know from listening to our grocery suppliers that these changes, including to dispute resolution, payment practices, and dedicated account management support, are making a positive difference. But we know there is still much more to do."
More broadly, the GCA noted that supplier experiences across the UK grocery sector are improving. Overall perceived compliance rose to 93% in 2025, up from 91% in 2024. The proportion of suppliers who reported facing an issue with the Code dropped to 30%, down from 33% last year.
GCA head Mark White said he was encouraged by the continued improvement:
"It’s particularly pleasing to see the lowest five performers from 2024—Home Bargains, Lidl, Morrisons, Iceland, and Amazon—showing progress in how suppliers perceive their compliance with the Code."
While Amazon still has ground to cover, the results suggest early signs of change—though many suppliers remain unconvinced that the retailer is fully playing by the rules. Photo by M J Richardson, Wikimedia commons.