Ocado

Ocado in brief

• Rank: #58 of 100 in UK's Most Powerful 100 Brands 2026; #7 of 12 in Technology & Digital.
• WCRC Power Score: 64.68 out of 100.
• Founded: 2000, by Tim Steiner and fellow co-founders.
• Owner: Ocado Group plc, Hatfield, England.
• Leadership: Tim Steiner, Chief Executive Officer.
• Latest revenue: £1.4bn revenue (FY2025, year to Nov 2025, +12.1%), group revenue of Ocado Group plc, as per company filings.

What makes Ocado powerful

Ocado has turned a British online grocer into an exporter of grocery technology. Its robotic customer fulfilment centres and software are licensed to retailers around the world, and in the year to November 2025 group revenue rose 12.1% to £1.36bn.

The brand's power lies in intellectual property. Few companies have built automated grocery warehouses at Ocado's scale, and its technology gives partners a route to profitable online grocery. Management is now focused on cash: a £150m reduction in technology and support costs underpins a target to become cash flow positive in the second half of 2025/26. Founder and chief executive Tim Steiner continues to lead the business, giving it a consistent long-term vision.

Ocado's revenue rose 12.1% to £1.36bn in the year to November 2025.

Why Ocado ranks #58

Ocado ranks 58th with a WCRC Power Score of 64.68, between EE above and Tanqueray below. Product and innovation (70) is clearly its strongest pillar, reflecting robotic warehouse technology licensed to retailers worldwide. Positioning and recall (64) and Trust (64) are middling, while Sustainability and governance (62) and Digital and financial (62) hold it back, as years of losses, 1,000 job cuts and partners closing warehouses have tested confidence despite revenue rising 12% to £1.36bn.

The Achilles' heel

Ocado's model depends on partners building more warehouses, and that demand has weakened. Kroger in the US and Sobeys in Canada said they would close robotic fulfilment centres, citing weaker-than-expected demand. The company is cutting about 1,000 jobs. Until more retailers sign up for new sites, investors will keep questioning whether the model can deliver lasting profits.

The 2026 story

Ocado's 2026 opened with mixed news. Results in February showed revenue up 12.1% to £1.36bn, but the company announced about 1,000 job cuts, less than 5% of its workforce, after Kroger and Sobeys said they would close robotic fulfilment centres. Tim Steiner set out a £150m cost reduction and a target to turn cash flow positive in the second half of 2025/26. Shares fell after the update.

Pillar profile

Provisional desk scores out of 100, for the WCRC Business Intelligence Unit to validate.

Versus its nearest rivals

Questions people ask

Also featured in

• Most powerful Technology & Digital brands
• Most Innovative British Brands
• Fastest-Growing British Brands
• Most powerful brands in England

Key facts

Sources

• Revenue figure published by Ocado Group plc
• Company website, official announcements and press releases
• Published interviews and statements by the leadership
• WCRC Business Intelligence Unit research: consumer sentiment, ratings and reviews, search demand, media and social data