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.

Duchy is amazing, the frozen organic vegetables, the milk, eggs, ice cream in the summer, the whole range is all gone thomas so along with my organic fresh vegetables, fruits and breads - we can't buy any of the Duchy range either.
So that leaves me with Yeo Valley and Biona with the odd product from Strong roots (when available, which it rarely is because kids love them) That is not going to feed a big (or even a little) family is it.

I am not trying to be difficult here, but that makes up most, not all, but most of my shopping! Along with my usual Waitrose brand only goods.

You can see why it might be a problem for customers like me.

Maybe Waitrose didn't want to continue either, now they have their own supermarket online delivery in place.

@Aragog Waitrose have had online deliveries for years and years. I used them but when they took over another local supermarket I started to shop in person.

Waitrose stopped their link with Ocado as it cost them too much for the partnership and they didn't want to renew it.

Ocado has operated at a loss ever since they set up, but so did Amazon, so we'll see what happens.

YABU

They have been brilliant. I've been with them since the start (around 2001) and they really do value customers' loyalty. I had a weekly slot throughout lockdown, they are reliable, come when they are supposed to come and on the rare occasion there has been a problem, they give you a £10 voucher.

I wasn't too sure about them going over to M&S but now I'm quite excited about it. Ocado do a lot of their own branded things anyway which will continue and M&S produce is very good quality.

To be fair, sainsburys were crap during lockdown, too. No slots, no click and collect slots here and zero customer service. I rarely order fresh stuff from them at the best of times because dates are often crap.

We've just got ocado up here, finally and I've used them 3 weeks running without a single missing item or substitution.

I have stuck with Ocado because they have delivered to me most weeks since March. I am however increasingly frustrated by the items they don't have in stock, which they only tell me about on the day of delivery, so I have to go to Sainsburys on the way home from work which sort of defeats the object. I usually buy Quorn products for lunches but hey have hardly any stock now, despite the fact the shelves are full in Sainsburys. I also find Ocado very expensive. Their only redeeming features are the loveliness of the deliver people and the fact they are usually on time. I don't really want M&S stuff, I'd much rather have Waitrose, I'll see how it goes and then swap over if I feel the same next month.

I was a weekly shopper with Ocado, for past 10+ years, but couldn’t get a single slot throughout the lockdown (very vulnerable but not on Government list). Contacted them and got absobloodylutely nowhere. Pretty shoddy service imo.
Despite their claiming to price match with Tesco, and receiving emails promising vouchers I have yet to actually receive any.
Swopping to Tesco or Waitrose because cba with the hassle.

@littlepeas

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.

You can still get Duchy at Ocado. it is only the Waitrose lines that will be gone, replaced by M&S

Ocado was excellent as far as I am concerned during the lockdown. I was an existing customer, managed to get regular-ish deliveries from their website. In general their products are good, the drivers friendly and problems with deliveries are very rare. They refund damaged products very quickly.
So no, I don't see any problems for them and their future...

I never used the app so don't know anything about that. I am looking forward to being able to order M and S stuff. I will get OCADO when I can since I find they are one of the best.

@bendmeoverbackwards

YABU

They have been brilliant. I've been with them since the start (around 2001) and they really do value customers' loyalty. I had a weekly slot throughout lockdown, they are reliable, come when they are supposed to come and on the rare occasion there has been a problem, they give you a £10 voucher.

I wasn't too sure about them going over to M&S but now I'm quite excited about it. Ocado do a lot of their own branded things anyway which will continue and M&S produce is very good quality.

They don’t give a toss about valuing customers loyalty; I was spending £80-100/ week with them for 10+ years 😡 yet couldn’t get a single slot, despite an Anytime Pass, for 14 weeks.

Waitrose have had online deliveries for years and years.

I know they have. I also used them before Ocado delivered here. Their service was never great round here - So many missing items. And their Christmas delivery was shocking. Three years running mine never showed up, one year it was cancelled and the other two I had to go and collect it, only to find most of it was missing.

I am not trying to be difficult here, but that makes up most, not all, but most of my shopping!

That's fine. Use Waitrose directly instead. You aren't forced to shop with Ocado.

Just because you don't like their new products, and will miss the Waitrose and Waitrose Duchy brands, doesn't mean everyone will agree with you.

Your earlier post clearly stated that Ocado would now only sell Ocado and M&S brands:

and the choice (between M&S and Ocado only) is going to be so limited.

This is inaccurate. The other brands remain - just not the Waitrose brands.

@Strawberrycreamsundae

I was a weekly shopper with Ocado, for past 10+ years, but couldn’t get a single slot throughout the lockdown (very vulnerable but not on Government list). Contacted them and got absobloodylutely nowhere. Pretty shoddy service imo. Despite their claiming to price match with Tesco, and receiving emails promising vouchers I have yet to actually receive any. Swopping to Tesco or Waitrose because cba with the hassle.

I regularly get vouchers if my shopping would have been cheaper at Tesco. Also the occasional free gift. e.g. Toblerone.

I also like the fact that with Ocado once an item is ordered it is very rare for it not be available at the time of delivery and substitutions are rare too and when they do happen are more likely to be sensible ones than is my experience with some others

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.

I'm a regular customer with Waitrose and for a few weeks I couldn't get a slot but then they put me on their priority list and I've not had an issue since. Couldn't even get onto the Ocado website for weeks and their messages rubbed me up the wrong way. "If you're reading this you are not a priority" Thanks

They have been sending quite a few emails to me recently.

Sorry meercat23

Duchy is owned by Waitrose and has gone from Ocado x

Despite their claiming to price match with Tesco, and receiving emails promising vouchers I have yet to actually receive any.

I have had some. They just came with an email and a code, to add to my next shop. I just copy and paste them on and it comes off.

They let us down badly during lockdown (shielding & wouldn't give us a slot). We went to Tesco and had a slot every week & I vowed never to go back to Ocado, but I am curious about the M&S stuff. Maybe when my newly bought 6 month delivery pass with Tesco runs out...

meercat23

Duchy will go on 1 September. It is now a Waitrose brand and has been for a good while.

A lot of what is being posted here is subjective tittle tattle with no logic or fact behind it.

Go you ...

This is a discussion board, not a court hearing. (Trust me, I know the difference.)

I don't disagree with what you have expressed as your experience - but I completely fail to see why you think your experience is more valid or relevant than anyone elses's!

Duchy is a Waitrose owned brand, Friendsoftheearth. Of course you won't be able to buy it from Ocado anymore. Biona, Yeo Valley, and many many more organic ranges are still stocked by Ocado though.

You seem to be missing the point, which is that you keep stating incorrect information. The fact that products you currently like to buy will no longer be available, does not mean Ocado will be a food desert.

If you don't want to shop there fine, but stop giving people the wrong information.

Ocado were awful during lockdown, the queues to get onto their site were horrendous and they showed no consideration for their loyal customers. I'm not sure how this move from Waitrose to M & S will work. Watch this space.

I used tesco during lockdown, i could not get a delivery slot with ocado at all and there app kept you on hold for hours to then tell you there was no slots. Dont think Ocado is going to dissappear though,

Interested to see once the M&S range goes live. We had some issues with Ocado during lockdown, but it did improve, albeit the number of missing / substituted items has been irritating.

I'm glad to hear of the people mentioning they treat their employees well, that's good to know.

We were initially sad at the switch to M&S but interested to see how it goes and whether we find our online shop gets more or less expensive (it's been a LOT more expensive during lockdown).

I wouldn't go anywhere near Ocado since they made clear their absolute disdain for women.

Used to use them once a month or so topped up with the farm shop, when lockdown happened I couldn't get a slot so started shopping at Lidl as it had the shortest queue and haven't gone back. Their loss

@Clymene

I wouldn't go anywhere near Ocado since they made clear their absolute disdain for women.

What happened?