Conference looks at code of conduct

Countdown and Foodstuffs say a code of conduct for the groceries’ industry shouldn’t limit their ability to offer home-brand products, or allow suppliers to negotiate collectively as if they were in a union. The Commerce Commission spent the third day of its market-study conference into the $22 billion industry nutting out howto design a mandatory code setting out howthe major supermarkets should treat suppliers. The supermarket chains have agreed to support a code based on one in Australia, under which major retailers and wholesalers ‘‘volunteered’’ to abide by a scheme overseen by a government-appointed reviewer that sets rules and provides for the mandatory arbitration of disputes.