Better Health for All

Booker Group is actively working to improve the nutritional quality of its food products and enhance transparency. It has a well-established and comprehensive food safety management system.

The company is implementing an accelerated rollout of front-of-pack nutritional information, consistent with Tesco's labeling, to help customers make informed dietary choices. Initiatives include increasing healthier product availability, expanding plant-based ranges, and reformulating existing own-brand products to be healthier. While Booker distributes products with negative health impacts, such as tobacco and alcoholic beverages, non-tobacco sales grew by 18.4% in the year ending February 2023, indicating a shift.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

Booker Group PLC operates as a wholesale distributor of food and non-food products, supplying independent retailers and caterers

. Its core business does not involve offering lending, insurance, or other direct financial services to consumers or businesses. Consequently, the company does not have financial products, APRs, fee structures, loan books, or customer financial data relevant to the KPIs under the 'Fair Money & Economic Opportunity' value. While Booker aims to support small businesses through competitive and transparent pricing for its wholesale products , and has established internal colleague networks to promote diversity and inclusion among employees , these activities do not align with the specific financial services criteria of the rubric's KPIs.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

For BOOKER RETAIL PARTNERS (GB) LIMITED, women earned 86p for every £1 that men earned in median hourly pay during 2023-24, with women's median hourly pay being 14.1% lower than men's.

Women's mean hourly pay was 9.8% lower, and their mean bonus pay was 38.9% lower, although their median bonus pay was 1% higher. Most employees are paid above the minimum wage, with those aged 21 and over earning £10.75 to £16.73 per hour, though some roles may fall below the Real Living Wage benchmarks of £13.15 in London and £12.00 in the rest of the UK. Data from October 2023 to October 2024 shows 76% of employees reported not receiving paid breaks, and 35% performed extra work without compensation. Booker Group has a zero-tolerance policy for modern slavery, providing training to 2,292 staff members, and in 2023-24, 115 calls to their whistleblowing helpline did not identify any potential modern slavery cases. A UK Employment Tribunal decision regarding claims of breach of contract and unfair dismissal was published on March 16, 2022. In December 2021, 45 delivery drivers planned strikes over a pay dispute, with a union accusing Booker of breaking a pay agreement.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

In 2023-24, out of 115 calls to the Protector Line, none were identified as potential cases of modern slavery.

The company has a Modern Slavery Policy, Ethical Trading Policy, and implements due diligence measures for new and existing suppliers, with all own-label suppliers registered with Sedex. High-risk Tier 1 supplier sites undergo annual SMETA audits, though sites with no non-conformances in their last two annual audits may be granted a reduced audit frequency of every two years. Critical non-conformances identified in high-risk Tier 1 supplier sites must be addressed within a maximum of six months.

Honest & Fair Business

In April 2024, reports accused Booker Group of engaging in practices that potentially harm local businesses

, including undercutting prices in Tesco stores while offering higher prices through its wholesale arm , and intentionally ceasing deliveries of certain essential products to independent stores, reducing selection by up to 30%. Employee reviews from March 2024 also highlighted concerns about the company's internal culture , noting a lack of diversity in management, bullying, harassment, and unrealistic targets. Booker Group maintains a "Booker Code of Business Conduct" (v 5.4, February 2024) which outlines a zero-tolerance approach to bribery , prohibits giving or receiving bribes , requires due diligence on third parties , and emphasizes transparency in dealings with public officials, including a £100 UK gift threshold. The company also operates a "Protector Line" for whistleblowers , run by Navex, an independent company , for confidential and anonymous reporting of misconduct. This policy supports the UK Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 , protecting whistleblowers from victimization. In 2023-24, 115 calls were made to the Protector Line. Due diligence and risk assessments are conducted for suppliers , who are vetted and approved before manufacturing Booker brand products.

Kind to Animals

Booker Group's parent company, Tesco, ensures that all supplying farms for products sold in the UK are independently audited against robust species-specific livestock requirements.

Tesco maintains a comprehensive policy prohibiting animal testing for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, or household products, only permitting it when legally mandated for food safety and requiring adherence to applicable regulations. Furthermore, Tesco advocates for specific animal welfare standards by pushing for more humane slaughter methods and the elimination of eye stalk ablation for farmed decapod crustaceans.

No War, No Weapons

Booker Group PLC operates as a food wholesaler with no direct involvement in arms manufacturing, military contracts, or activities associated with the military-industrial complex.

Consequently, it has no revenue from arms or defense contracts, no dual-use technology, no exposure to controversial weapons, no defense business to oversee, no defense assets to divest, and no applicable technology development for peace tech investment. However, there is no indication of engagement in specific peace-promoting initiatives, resulting in 0% of revenue invested in peacebuilding or disarmament. The company's Code of Business Conduct (February 2024 v 5.4) addresses compliance with sanctions and export controls, stating the importance of not working with sanctioned entities. Booker Group also published a Modern Slavery Statement outlining steps to prevent modern slavery and human trafficking.

Planet-Friendly Business

Booker Group PLC has achieved zero waste to landfill over 12 years.

The company aims to be climate neutral across its own operations by 2035, with this target aligned to a 1.5-degree pathway.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

Booker Group PLC demonstrates basic language inclusivity by making digital versions of its Protector Line posters available to suppliers in different languages.

Other aspects of respect for cultures and communities, such as formal partnerships, community investment, or cultural appropriation incidents, lack specific, quantifiable evidence in the provided articles pertaining to the company's current operations.

Safe & Smart Tech

Booker Group has established privacy policies detailing their approach to data collection and protection.

The company employs encryption during data transmission, monitors systems for vulnerabilities, and conducts penetration tests to enhance security. No documented incidents of unauthorized data use are reported.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

Booker Group has achieved and maintained a zero waste to landfill status

, holding four Carbon Trust Standards for waste output . The company, as part of Tesco, has set ambitious waste reduction targets, including halving food waste in its own operations by 2025 and in its supply chains by 2030 . It also targets fully recyclable or compostable packaging for all own-brand products by 2025 , having achieved 84% recyclable own-brand packaging in 2019 and removing non-recyclable materials like black plastic, PVC, and polystyrene . Booker's Ice Valley bottles contain 25% recycled plastic . Numerous waste reduction initiatives are in place, such as a used cooking oil recycling scheme , a community anaerobic digestion plant , and partnerships with Too Good To Go , FareShare , and OLIO , which have saved over 300,000 meals and redistributed 36,843 tonnes of surplus food . These efforts contributed to a 29% reduction in food waste as a percentage of food handled compared to the 2016/17 baseline , and 155,000 tonnes of food waste cut from the supply chain . Booker encourages its suppliers to report food waste data, with 24 out of 37 reporting suppliers showing a reduction in food waste intensity . Furthermore, the company engages in customer waste education through initiatives like the "No Time for Waste Household Challenge," which resulted in 83% of participating households continuing to waste less .