// Marks & Spencer and Ocado partnership officially begins today
// The first deliveries of groceries is expected to reach customers today
// M&S has made over 6800 products exclusively available through Ocado
The Ocado and Marks & Spencer partnership has officially begun as the first deliveries of groceries is expected to reach customers today.
M&S’s venture into the online food shopping sector amid the Covid-19 crisis is forecast to benefit from the increased amount of consumers shopping from home.
The embattled retailer has made over 6800 products exclusively available through Ocado.
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Meanwhile, Ocado has introduced 10 Percy Pig-branded vans to its national fleet and 20,000 packets of the sweets have been ordered so far.
“Taking our full food range online for the first time is transformative,” M&S Food managing director Stuart Machin said.
“In preparation for go-live we have listened intently to customers to deliver an even bigger, better range.”
M&S chairman Archie Norman and chief executive Steve Rowe hope the new deal will play a significant and positive role in the retailer’s ongoing turnaround strategy.
Upmarket grocer Waitrose parted ways with Ocado after 18 years to pave way for M&S.
The move takes M&S into direct competition with Waitrose, with Ocado gaining an upper mid-market audience.
The impending partnership was first revealed in February 2019 when M&S spent £750 million to buy a 50 per cent stake of Ocado’s retail arm
Waitrose is currently in the process of building its own warehouses and finding delivery partners, and recently revealed a 12-week trial with Deliveroo.
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