To think Ocado are on their way out?

[AlternativePerspective]

They treated many of their customers shockingly during the pandemic. Broke the app and haven’t brought it back, and I have been told there is no timeframe as to when it will be brought back, they roll out a boiler template that it’s gradually going to be rolled out to a small selection of customers to ensure it works.

This is the only online only supermarket, and they’re the one who have failed the most spectacularly.

M&S are supposed to be online with them from Monday but with no app for many people shopping with them won’t be an easy thing to do so they won’t bother. Added to which M&S are looking to cut their costs anyway.

I speculated to my DP the other day that I will be surprised if Ocado are still around in a year’s time.

It’s a shame. They used to be a flagship online shop, now they’re the worst online supermarket.

I buy Daylesford from Ocado too

I would like to see supermarkets reduce their packaging drastically, offer more organic produce that is local to their customers and if any supermarket anywhere can do that, they will have a customer for life.

And yet they still manage to disappoint on packaging. All of them. And M&S are the very worst for it. Plastic everywhere, wall to wall.

I think I know how to use the website with all due respect per

I like Ocado, especially the Waitrose things and things I can't get at the other supermarkets. But their depots must be quite far from my house because the frozen food is always partially or fully defrosted when it gets to me. So I don't order very often now.

No, I don't think they are remotely on their way out. I've used them since they started and have an Anytime Smartpass. The first two weeks of the pandemic were a bit shaky but after that they got their act together and I had an order every 7 days with no problems. Far better than Waitrose, where despite being an existing customer I could not get a delivery slot until a fortnight ago.

The Ocado app has been working reliably for me for many weeks now, but I am not really bothered whether it is or isn't, using the main website is fine. The Ocado app (and website) is way better than Waitrose's. I will use Waitrose occasionally but I'll stick with Ocado for my main deliveries.

I've got an order for 1st September which includes a lot of M&S products, I'm looking forward to it.

I used them occasionally pre-lockdown.

When I was put in the shielding group, they first of all said I wasn't on the government supplied priority list so couldn't use them. Few weeks later they confirmed I was on the shielding list, but told me I hadn't used them enough in the past to be able to be added to their shielding priority list. Fuckers.

I suspect the customers they have pissed off were a minority, and probably those that don't shop regularly or spend that much anyway- I doubt a few deserters will impact long-term business- and there will be some new customers on the back of the M&S deal. Waitrose don't deliver to much of the country so they don't have the capacity to take on all the customers who would like to buy from them. I live in Yorkshire, hardly the arse end of nowhere and Waitrose don't deliver here so deserting Ocado to keep buying their products is not an option.

I strongly suspect Ocado prioritised high spending smart pass customers, gave them a slot every week,

Well yes, they prioritised customers who pay extra to use their service.
I really can't see much of an issue with that.

I love Ocado. Not worried about the switch to Marks, but can’t think of anything that I will no longer be able to get (just thought of Duchy houmous, but think that’s the only thing). I have a very convenient Waitrose, so can easily pop in for anything I miss horribly.

After the initial chaos died down, they treated their regular customers very fairly during lockdown. I will continue to use them and don’t know anyone who is unhappy with their service.

Ps - I don’t have a smart pass but still got a delivery slot every week during lockdown. I have used them weekly for years though.

I love them. Great delivery drivers, great slots, they performed well for me during lockdown, and now I have the opportunity to use their Zoom services as I live in West London: it's on the day delivery with precise slots, perfect when I have emergency grocery shopping.
So no, I have great faith in Ocado's future.

People who are happy don't post on social media half as much as the few that are unhappy- therefore it appears there are lots of unhappy customers- which in reality is probably not that many in the grand scheme of things!

The organic vegetable and fruit range is now pitiful. It makes up most of our order each week, and it is definitely a problem.

No organic bread to speak of, and some Waitrose favourites gone forever.

I am depressed and sad about this development tbh, it has caused a major headache in an already very stressful time. The last thing I need right now is shopping issues with a return to work, school, exhausted from lockdown. The timing could not be worse.

@Friendsoftheearth

marsha The ocado brand is not great, I will warn you now and nothing like the Waitrose quality. I use so many different brands that are not linked even to Waitrose, we like so many different things like method cleaning, Duchy range, Strong roots range, biona etc. I buy some of Waitrose own brand things, but not much really. Yeo Valley milk, butter, cream etc real staples we use every day -and all the rest, none of our normal shopping will be available anymore. That is my biggest issue.

I would have to change my entire family's tastes for each and every meal, compromise my wish to eat organically and choose sustainable products. Ocado have a small organic range available but it doesn't taste very nice, and the choice (between M&S and Ocado only) is going to be so limited.

Those brands are all still stocked by Ocado, they're not getting rid of all other brands to introduce m&s. You've misunderstood the new partnership

Food is the future for M&S!

@AlternativePerspective

They’re the only one who are online only and don’t have actual shops.

Tesco/sainsburys/Iceland/Morrison’s/Asda/waitrose all have actual shops and their online business is essentially on the side.

Amazon prime do deliver in certain areas but not everywhere yet.

Amazon Prime Now uses Morrisons though, at least they do here.

So just you then OP 😂 I disliked the add that Waitrose have put out on the radio this week as though they're leaving a voicemail and a 'we are taking this, this and this' making out like Ocado won't have anything to sell. Who will genuinely miss their quinoa 🙄 It sounds very mean and not as fun as I think they thought it would ...

I like Ocado. Like lots of people I couldn’t get a slot for the first few weeks of lockdown and then there was a period with a larger then usual number of substitutions, but after that it has all been fine. I’m going to miss Waitrose but am prepared to give the M&S partnership a try and see how it goes.

I didn’t get prioritised by Ocado either even though was a regular shopper. Guess I didn’t spend enough. I was pissed off at the time and swore I would go back to them but now I can get slots I’m back with them. Im excited for M&S Food.

I was a regular, and quite-high spending, Ocado customer, but, around the time they were doing the deal with M&S, everything went haywire - deliveries not turning up without any explanation, strange substitutions and very poor customer service, when, previously it had been excellent.
I saw that as the writing on the wall, and jumped ship, to mix my metaphors.
They also don't seem to have treated people who were shielding very well.
I missed them, but found I could do without them, so I can't see any reason to go back, now.
I can't be the only one!

@littlepeas

Ps - I don’t have a smart pass but still got a delivery slot every week during lockdown. I have used them weekly for years though.

I had been a customer for years, they sent me an invitation to buy a smart pass during the initial lockdown period which I did. Once I had bought the smart pass I was unable to get a single delivery slot for love nor money. Eventually they apologised and refunded my smart pass, I now won't use them on principle.

thomas 80% of my order is organic vegetables and fruit, bread. Yes I might be able to get Yeo Valley milk - although I see many of the branded items are not available in the next few weeks, even if in theory they intend to supply them. The organic range is very very limited.
I buy much of the waitrose lines for suppers, and I don't want to replace it with M&S food so very limited in options.

We have had no issues with missing items particularly, and still way way better than when I have used other supermarkets in the past. Even during the pandemic lockdown I was rarely getting missing items.

I will stock with Ocado as I have been happy with their service for many years, and including lockdown.

Everything has been delivered fresh and with a good level of quality.

I use the Ocado range as well as other brands they sell, and I am looking forward to trying the new M&S range.

Where I live Ocado seems to be the most well used delivery service for food, based on the different vans we see delivering each day. The others appear far less often.

I would have to change my entire family's tastes for each and every meal, compromise my wish to eat organically and choose sustainable products. Ocado have a small organic range available but it doesn't taste very nice, and the choice (between M&S and Ocado only) is going to be so limited.

I think you have misunderstood or not checked the new partnership. Those other brands, except for Waitrose, will still be available. they still ARE available right now for deliveries next week, and ongoing.

Who will genuinely miss their quinoa
Er, me!! Lunchtime staple