Ocado extends partnership with Groupe Casino to expand its logistics solutions in France

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Ocado extends partnership with Groupe Casino to expand its logistics solutions in France
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Ocado's robotic logistics will be made available to a range of third-party French retailers through a joint venture with Groupe Casino. Image courtesy of Ocado

UK retailer Ocado has extended its partnership with Groupe Casino in a joint effort to provide logistics solutions to ecommerce retailers across France. 

Ocado and Groupe Casino believe there is a significant and growing gap in the French market for online grocery services, which they are primed to fill with their technologies. 

The two are setting up a joint venture to support the development and management of warehouses, as well as the recruitment and operations management of employees at the sites. Ocado’s commerce and robotic fulfilment solutions will also be integrated to help run the autonomous warehouses. 

Tim Steiner, chief executive of Ocado, says: "The online grocery channel in France has reached an inflection point, with a huge rise in demand for compelling, affordable and efficient grocery ecommerce propositions. Our growing partnership and live operations in Ile-de France have set the highest bar for the experience French consumers can expect in online grocery." 

"This announcement marks a deepening of the relationship between Groupe Casino and Ocado Group, and it will further support the capital light expansion of our partnership into other French regions. For the first time, it will also open up the whole of the French grocery market to Ocado’s solutions." 

"Additionally, by integrating the Octopia marketplace into our end-to-end smart platform, we are bringing more proven, market-leading flexibility to our partners’ online ecosystems." 

Groupe Casino’s chairman, Jean-Charles Naouri, adds: "Casino Group is pleased to announce this new agreement with Ocado Group. This partnership illustrates our ability to once again revolutionize the way of disrupting the online grocery market. 

"After having experienced the success of the Ocado solution with Monoprix Plus, Casino Plus and Naturalia Marché Bio, the French consumers will be able to benefit from new, even more efficient ecommerce services, making their daily needs even easier. 

"Casino Group is very proud that Ocado chooses Octopia for its marketplace solution recognizing its word-class functionality." 

The news follows Ocado’s announcement last week of growing sales in its retail and technology business in the UK and international markets.