Ocado makes US HQ announcement

Ocado is prepping an official US base in Washington, D.C., and in the interim will operate out of an office in Tysons, Va., as it builds its relationship with The Kroger Co. and Sobeys in Canada.

Luke Jensen, CEO at Ocado Solutions, said the move will enable it to "coordinate the recruitment and training of hundreds of highly skilled technologists and engineers across North America."

"We selected the D.C. area for its great connections to cities across the USA and Canada, as well as for its strong technology and engineering talent pools," he added.

Kroger recently announced its next two Ocado e-commerce centres will be located in central Florida and the Mid-Atlantic regions, building on its first one in Cincinnati.

"We are excited to partner with Ocado, one of the most innovative, advanced companies in the world, to redefine the grocery shopping experience for customers along the East Coast," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's Chairman and CEO. "We are incredibly excited to introduce customer fulfillment centres in this region to deliver on our Restock Kroger vision to serve America through food inspiration and uplift."

Kroger has committed to building 20 of these automated warehouse facilities with digital and robotic capabilities, also known as "sheds". To view a video and photography , click here.