Waitrose & Partners Statement - Ocado

Wednesday 27 February 2019

Waitrose & Partners confirms that following careful review of the relationship its commercial arrangement with Ocado will come to an end in September 2020, in line with contractual terms. 

Rob Collins, MD of Waitrose & Partners, said: ‘We have strengthened our own online business significantly and said last summer that we will double Waitrose.com within five years.  Today’s announcement will be a major part of achieving this and in future Waitrose.com and our shops will be the exclusive places in the UK to buy Waitrose & Partners products.

‘Waitrose.com sales are growing at 14.2%, well ahead of the market, and customer satisfaction scores for both fulfilment and the website are showing sustained and significant increases too.

‘We are planning a second fulfilment centre to support our growing volumes in London and will be able to welcome thousands more online customers to Waitrose from the end of this year.

‘We have valued our relationship with Ocado and thank them for the last 19 years.’

• Waitrose & Partners has been supplying Ocado with both branded and own-label products since 2000
• Online grocery market growth is 3.2% (Kantar data, 52 weeks to 27 Jan 2019).  Waitrose.com online grocery business grew by 14.2% in the same period.
• Customer satisfaction with Waitrose.com increased during the year ended 27 January 2019: fulfilment up by 5% and website functionality by 6% compared to 2017/18. This builds on increases of 6% and 5% (respectively) in the previous year, 2016/17.
• Waitrose.com delivery service was launched in 2000 and now delivers directly to 81% of active UK postcodes.
• The Waitrose.com service is provided through a combination of from-branch deliveries, and through the Coulsdon Fulfilment Centre, opened in 2015.
• As well as online, Waitrose & Partners products are sold in its 349 shops, selected Shell garage forecourts and in 27 Welcome Break franchises.

Waitrose & Partners

Waitrose & Partners has 349 shops in England, Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands, including 61 convenience branches, and another 27 shops at Welcome Break locations. It combines the convenience of a supermarket with the expertise and service of a specialist shop - dedicated to offering quality food that has been responsibly sourced, combined with high standards of customer service. Waitrose & Partners is an employee-owned business - all employees are Partners and have a say in how the business is run.

Waitrose & Partners exports products to more than 50 countries worldwide and has nine shops which operate under licence in the Middle East. The retailer's omnichannel business includes the online grocery service, Waitrose.com, as well as specialist online shops including waitrosecellar.com for wine and waitroseflorist.com for plants and flowers.