Ocado Group has confirmed that mutual exclusivity has ended with retail partners in most international markets where its technology is live, including the US, opening the door to new supermarket partnerships from 2026.
The update was published on December 30, as Ocado moves to bring its automation and AI-driven fulfilment systems back to market after several years of exclusive arrangements with selected retailers.
In the United States, exclusivity has ended with Kroger, one of Ocado’s longest-standing international partners.
What Has Changed
Ocado said it had already flagged the shift at its Half Year 2025 results, where it expected most exclusivity agreements to roll off by the end of the year.
With those arrangements now largely concluded, the company said it can actively pursue new commercial activity across multiple grocery markets worldwide.
The move allows Ocado to offer its full technology stack to a wider range of retailers, rather than being limited to one partner per market.
Technology Scope
Ocado said its current offering has evolved significantly since its first international customer fulfilment centres went live five years ago.
Its solutions now span store-based automation, AI-supported manual picking in stores and dark stores, and fully automated customer fulfilment centres, including micro-fulfilment and larger-scale facilities.
These systems support delivery models ranging from immediate and same-day to next-day delivery and click-and-collect.
Why It Matters For Retailers
For supermarkets, the end of exclusivity changes the competitive landscape in online grocery operations.
Retailers that previously could not access Ocado’s systems due to market restrictions may now be able to evaluate its automation alongside other retail technology platforms, particularly as online grocery continues to grow in strategic importance.
The update also reflects wider momentum around automation, AI, and fulfillment redesign in US grocery, themes already shaping retail technology investment decisions going into 2026.
What Happens Next
Ocado said it will continue working closely with existing partners while beginning new commercial discussions in multiple international markets.
As it enters 2026, the company positions itself as a technology provider able to support retailers at different stages of online maturity, from store-based picking through to large-scale automated fulfillment.
