Ocado

Ocado Group plc is a British online grocery retailer and technology company. It was founded in 2000 by Tim Steiner, Jason Gissing and Jonathan Faiman to develop a pure-play online grocery service and the accompanying warehousing and logistics technology. The company is headquartered in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, and is listed on the London Stock Exchange as a constituent of the FTSE 100.

Ocado operates online grocery shopping under the Ocado Retail brand in the United Kingdom and uses its technology platform to power order fulfilment and delivery. A core element of its offering is the Ocado Smart Platform (OSP), a cloud-based software system that covers e-commerce, pricing, promotions and warehouse and delivery operations. Ocado also develops and sells automation technology and software through Ocado Technology and provides the Ocado Smart Platform to external retailers through Ocado Solutions.

In addition to its UK activities, Ocado has formed international partnerships to license its platform and fulfilment systems abroad. Notable arrangements have included a UK online grocery venture with Marks & Spencer, and a partnership with Kroger in the United States to operate online groceries using Ocado’s technology and automated warehouses. The company emphasizes robotics, data analytics and optimization to improve efficiency in order fulfilment and delivery.