Our suppliers

Our success depends on identifying and working with strong, dynamic and confident suppliers.

Our position

Our suppliers provide thousands of products our customers want, from fresh produce to ready meals, clothing, furniture and electronic equipment.

We rely on an efficient, complex supply chain to deliver these products reliably, meeting high quality standards and giving customers value for money. We have over 5,000 direct suppliers, ranging from very small companies offering one product delivered direct to a few stores, to multinationals supplying lots of goods to our stores around the world via our international sourcing hubs in Hong Kong and elsewhere.

Critics sometimes argue that supermarkets use their power to force unfair prices and terms on suppliers - especially smaller ones - and fail to build long-term relationships which would allow them to plan adequately and invest in their businesses.

We do not believe that exploitative relationships with suppliers could ensure the quality, reliability and product development that our customers demand. We favour long-term relationships over short-term deals. We seek to get the best value from our suppliers so that we can pass this on to our customers, but we seek to do this in a fair way which reflects the costs our suppliers face. We need strong, dynamic and confident suppliers. Our success is tied to theirs.

Our approach is based on our core values - 'treating people how we like to be treated' and being 'fair, responsible and honest' in everything we do. We aim to be decent, legal and honest, work within voluntary and statutory codes such as the UK Code of Practice (see Our suppliers - Supporting UK farmers), treat suppliers with courtesy and respect, and communicate openly.