Ocado: Get your food items delivered at your doorstep in no time

How to shop fast and simple from the comfort of your own home? With Ocado, all you need to do is go on their website, pick your groceries, and schedule a delivery time.

We have seen a growing trend for online shopping in recent years. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the trend has skyrocketed and is now the leading means of finding and purchasing products. From clothes and cosmetics all the way to apples and maple syrup - everything can be found just a click away. One company started this trend in the UK years ago. Right now, it has a revenue of over $2.2 Billion and is one of the leading developers of software for online retailers. This company is called Ocado Group and has caused a recent shift in online purchasing with its joint venture with retailer Marks & Spencer.

What is Ocado?

Ocado is currently one of the leading online retail chains, offering over 45,000 different products. Shopping online from Ocado is simple, yet effective, as it allows people to pick all the items they need and have them delivered at their doorstep exactly when they need it.

Their mission is to provide the best shopping experience and bring the already existing online retailers to greater success by fostering the development of outstanding technology and market-leading solutions.

The Ocado retail platform was the pioneer in online shopping. Founded at the turn of the new millennium, it quickly stood out from its competitors with its innovative technology and, later, online presence. Starting off by only catering for iPhone users in 2009 via a mobile app (Ocado On The Go), after only a few years Ocado created its first online shopping platform, accessible for all users across the UK through a PC. The company developed its own online retail software and began the process of revolutionizing the shopping world, reaching over 10 million households.

Revolutionizing the online retail world

This revolution did not stop at the emergence of the app. Ocado wanted to create a whole technologically driven supply chain that would speed up its production and delivery while not taking away from the quality of its service. The adoption of robotics and innovative technology was at the heart of what they did as pioneers in the online retail world. Which is why currently the human personnel working at their order assembly factories is limited and the items people choose are chosen and packed by automated robotic handlers. This gave Ocado the chance to speed up its deliveries and enter British households with a speed never recorded before.

The Ocado service quickly grew in popularity among British people and soon became the biggest online retailer in the country. The easy-to-use interface allows customers to quickly navigate through the thousands of items and brands available on the website. The prices they offer are usually lower than most supermarkets, making Ocado.com a safe choice for customers wishing to save some money.

What can you buy at Ocado?

The retailer offers a variety of discounts on seasonal products, themed week special offers, as well as a discount for chosen customer favourites. What’s more, customers can save their favourite items on the website and save up some time while picking out groceries. Customers can also add items into their trolleys, which they would like to automatically be added into their trolley for next week. A truly revolutionary addition to online grocery shopping.

On the Ocado online website people can purchase from thousands of favorite brands and products, available across large supermarkets in the UK. After announcing the joint venture with M&S, Ocado put all the brands available in the brick-and-mortar store online, including M&S’s own brand. Ocado has also created its own brand, offering fresh fruits and vegetables, health and beauty essentials, and cleaning supplies. The retailer created this brand with the goal of providing high quality products at an affordable price, which people can trust. On the Ocado.com website, aside from food items, people can find home accessories, clothing, pet essentials, and tech items.

How to make a purchase at Ocado?

The purchasing process takes place in only a few simple steps. Firstly, customers go on the Ocado website and begin choosing their items. Normally, a shopping experience at a brick-and-mortar store takes around an hour, while online customers can have their next meal prep done in under 15 minutes. The next step is picking a delivery time slot. Ocado offers 1-hour delivery slots, every 30 minutes, 7 days a week, all the way from 5:30 in the morning until 11:30 in the evening. This way customers know exactly when they will have their products delivered and are certain that they receive them exactly on time. If, of course, customers decide they wish to pick their order on their way home, they can do it from a chosen Click & Collect location.

Is there a delivery fee at Ocado?

Upon delivery of the chosen items, all orders are subject to a delivery fee. It varies, depending on the size of the purchase or the location to which it is being delivered, however, in most cases customers have to spend a few bucks to get their goods at their doorstep. For orders under $75, it will vary between 3 or 7 pounds roughly, but if you exceed that amount in your trolley, you might get your goods with no fee. Of course, it is possible to get a Smart Pass and “pass” these fees. It gives customers a 10% discount on selected products, waives the Ocado delivery fee and gains access to a variety of special offers and discounts. What’s more, it gives customers a special discount for Christmas and their “Ocadoversary”, or the date they created their profile.

Setting up a unique Ocado customer profile

When it comes to a profile, Ocado suggests customers to set up an account prior to searching for groceries. This way customers will be sure that the service is available in their region and will not simply add items to their trolley without being certain whether they will be able to get them delivered. Creating a new account at Ocado is easy. All customers need to do is visit the website, go to the “Register” button on the site, and add their credentials. The most important information is the postcode, as this is how customers can find out if Ocado delivers to their region. From there on, customers need to simply follow the directions to finish their registration and move on to shopping.

Customer experience and feedback for Ocado

Thousands of households have used the Ocado service and have seen the benefits from it. Lately, the delivery process has been slowed down due to the high demand for online purchases because of the pandemic, which has resulted in some negative feedback from customers. Most of their negative experience comes from the unavailability of delivery slots, however Ocado has been working hard in providing more opportunities for people to get their food at their doorstep. On the other hand, people are astonished with the whole service, leaving comments on the Apple and Google store pages about the ease of use, fast delivery, and accuracy of Ocado.

We have shared some interesting insight into Ocado and its innovative delivery service. All that is left for you as customers to do is visit their website at Ocado.com and begin shopping to discover the endless possibilities the retailer offers. If you have any questions or doubts, you can always visit the Ocado Help Centre for more information.