Ocado swings into profit and signs deal with Carrefour

Ocado has reported is first ever pre-tax profit and is to begin selling French supermarket Carrefour's products, as it moves to shift away from its reliance on selling Waitrose products.

Ocado: shopping and delivery service swings into profit
Ocado: shopping and delivery service swings into profit

The online grocer today (Monday) reported pre-tax profits of £200,000 in the 24-weeks ending 15 May 2011, compared to a £6.7m loss the year before.

Revenues were up 20.1% to £276.7m in the period, fuelled by an increase in weekly orders for its deliveries.

Ocado, which delivers mostly Waitrose groceries, floated on the stock market last year, as it looked to raise money and expand the brand.

The business was founded in 2000 by three former Goldman Sachs bankers and has hitherto been a loss-marking business.

Highlights in the period, according to Ocado, include increasing its own-label range from 250 to 350 products  and delivering the right items top customers on 98% of occasions.

Tim Steiner, chief executive of Ocado, said: "Strong consumer demand for the Ocado service has delivered profitable growth, limited only by our operational capacity. We are increasing capacity to meet demand and improve delivery timeliness and order accuracy.

"We are delighted to announce our new supply partnership with Carrefour, an important development in our strategy to offer the broadest and most diverse grocery range to all our customers in the UK."

Its deal to begin selling Carrefour product begins on July 14, when it will start selling its Reflets de France range of products.

Ocado disclosed scant more details about its relationship with Carrefour, adding that "this new partnership is an important step in Ocado's strategy to offer the broadest and most diverse range to all our customers in the UK."

battle it out for customers in the London area.

The retailers have a partnership until 2020 that enables Ocado to sell Waitrose goods.

However the deal, penned last June, enables them to compete in the London market.

Both are taking out advertising campaigns to showcase their brands in and around the capital.

Ocado is also looking to enhance its own-label offering.

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