Ocado and M&S

[Justajot]

We ship with Ocado and I saw this about Ocado possibly switching to M&S instead of Waitrose. Would you stick with Ocado if they did?

I think prices might rise which would possibly be the end of Ocado for me.

I can't get Waitrose deliveries where I live, so I guess I will be ditching Ocado eventually and going back to Sainsbury's. I find lots of products in M&S to be really short-dated, I wonder how Ocado will deal with that.

The news report I saw earlier said that Ocado/Waitrose have to give each other 18months notice of them splitting up (I feel a pisstake thread is needed on the Relatioships board, but I don't think that sort of thing is allowed any more)

So plenty of time to experiment with other suppliers, and decide which you like best.

I’ll definitely leave Ocado when the M&S deal starts. I hate M&S food with a passion. It’s appallingly over packaged and over priced for what it is. So gutted because I think Ocado service is wonderful.

I’m so excited about this!

Alongside all the branded food Ocado make their own brand food now in almost all areas to match Waitrose so I can’t think of anything I can’t purchase through them - plus now we can buy M&S instead of having to drive down there. It’s a win win!

Plus Waitrose online shopping is woeful, no app and everything always missing

I read somewhere that M+S were reducing their packaging and going to have more greengrocer / market style fresh food for customers to self select. Perhaps that will fit in better with Ocado?

Surely Waitrose only provide food delivery sourced from their own stores. If it is not in the store it will not be available. Ocado have automated warehouses and I very rarely have anything missing.

Thats me out then when it ends. Fortunately I can get Waitrose delivery here so I'll probably go to them.
Such a shame, and people seem to be very divided over it.

I’ll be leaving Ocado once this goes live. It’s not that I dislike M &S (quote the opposite) but I dont feel their range is very extensive.

For me M & S is a top up shop of shopping for nice bits not the weekly shop.

I’m gutted

I'd like this because I could get some M&S treats alongside my usual stuff. But, I'd miss the Duchy Organic. Six of one but I think M&S would win.

I’m annoyed as I don’t like M&S food - it’s overly packaged and processed to me

Right now I do all shopping through Ocado

Presumably Ocado will still be selling everything from before that isn't Waitrose own brand, so not that much different? Though I may need to buy more Waitrose toilet rolls etc first. Mmm, thinking about it maybe the M&S deal won't be as good. I want both!

I’ve been shopping with Ocado for years, and will continue to do so. I don’t think the foods I will buy will change very much as a fair amount is ocado own brand. I am also fortunate to be able to walk to Waitrose in 5 mins so won’t miss out on Waitrose products.

I'll really miss the Waitrose Essential stuff and the M&S price hike will be a no go for me. M&S butter etc is always more expensive. I think I might do the odd shop every month or so to get brands we like on some things. The Ocado guy I heard on the radio said they'll still have the full offer of other brands but the Waitrose stuff will be swapped out for M&S.

They will not have my weekly shop though anymore, I've been with them since the start. I do try other retailers online now and again but always go back to Ocado as the others aren't reliable on delivery times and usually half the order is missing (often the stuff on "offer") looking at you, Asda, Tesco and Sainsburys so end up not saving money and not having complete ingredients for the meals I'd planned.

The best thing about Ocado is the fact products come straight from the warehouse and the app is so easy to use. If I don’t feel it’s value for money I will switch to Morrisons as it’s run by Ocado.

Presumably Ocado will still be selling everything from before that isn't Waitrose own brand, so not that much different?

Thats where the difference lies for me. Waitrose toilet rolls as you said, but things like the kitchen cleaner with bleach, the powder to add in to the wash, bleach, beans, frozen chicken breasts just off the top of my head. I buy a lot of Waitrose own brand so it would totally change my shop.

You could always do a big shop once every few months at Waitrose online (assuming you have it) for their range? The small cost of that would be outweighed by the benefit.

Ocado do a brilliant world food section and as I am Scandinavian I use Ocado for this reason as I can get some Swedish bread and stuff. It's not the only reason and I can't see that happening with M&S and I am not impressed with M&S offerings anyways so would probably go back to Tesco and or Sainsburys

friar it's an idea, but M&S food has never impressed me anyway.

TBH we've recently moved and are a ten minute drive from a really quiet Waitrose store, so I might just actually go and physically shop and not bother with online at all. The kids left home recently so I've found my weekly online order has diminished to three weekly so it's probably the kick I needed to change habits a bit.

I'd switch to Waitrose for my weekly shop.

BUT I would definitely use Ocado/M&S from time to time as well. Ocado has introduced its own own-brand products that compete with Waitrose Essentials over the last few years - chopped tomatoes and the suchlike. They will need to expand that to compensate for the loss of Waitrose, because M&S don't have enough products, unless they want to invest in growing their supermarket offering - WHICH wouldn't be a bad thing, because they do food very well, and I assume it's just the volume, or lack thereof, that keeps their prices so high. I love all of the food that they currently do, although they could reduce their salt a bit more.

I was initially a little excited as M & S gluten free stuff is really good, but then I realised they were dropping the Waitrose brand which accounts for probably 80% of my shopping. I'm now feeling quite cross about it as Waitrose directly are dreadful for the amount of substitutions.

On a side note, I'm really shocked that Ocado only has a 1% stake of the online shopping market...... their vans are very visible around here (Gloucestershire).

I'll be ditching Ocado when this goes through.

Mixed feelings about this. I love M&S food and have always hoped for an online service, BUT I love the Ocado/Waitrose combo. I've tried Waitrose Direct a few times, but really not impressed. Found the site difficult to navigate and ended up with loads of substitutions.
Waitrose Direct will have to massively up their game. Interesting to see how it all pans out.

I'm really excited about it! Regular Ocado shopper, most of my order is either Ocado own brand or other brands, I can't think of many Waitrose products I would miss.

M&S has a great new vegan range and I love some of their ready made salads etc. Also their party food is much, much nicer so that will mean no extra M&S trip at Christmas.

Will definitely swap to Waitrose or might have another try with Sainsburys. M&S food is far too expensive for our main day to day shopping. Shame as I've shopped with Ocado from the start.