Aeon announces Ocado Group powered CFC in Hachioji, Japan
Japanese retailer Aeon has taken the next step in its Ocado Group tie up with the roll-out of a customer fulfilment centre (CFC) in Hachioji.
This will bolster its capacity in the Tokyo region as the online grocery market in Japan continues to grow.
Aeon has over 580,000 associates and approximately 100 million customers. It operates 21,000+ stores across various businesses in 14 countries.
In November 2019, Ocado Group and Aeon announced a partnership to develop the latter’s online operations in Japan using the Ocado Smart Platform.
The first CFC, due to open in 2023, will be based in Honda-cho, Midori-ku, Chiba-city and will serve customers in the Kanto region.
Aeon will also leverage Ocado Group's proprietary store pick software within parts of its existing physical network, and offer Click and Collect from selected sites.
AutoStore
UK-based Ocado Group recently won a patent infringement lawsuit filed by Norwegian robotics firm AutoStore in the International Trade Commission (ITC).
AutoStore had filed the lawsuit last year in both the United States and the United Kingdom, claiming Ocado’s grocery picking robots infringed on its automated designs.
The ITC's Chief Administrative Law Judge held three of the four AutoStore patents were invalid while the fourth one was not infringed by Ocado. A fifth patent was abandoned by AutoStore the night before the trial.
The judge also rejected AutoStore's request for barring Ocado and its partners from making and selling the products involved, and from importing them into the United States.
AutoStore is set to challenge the decision before the full commission, which will review the findings and issue a final verdict in April 2022.
Ocado, meanwhile, is continuing to pursue its claims against AutoStore for infringement of its own patents in both the United States and Europe.
An Ocado spokesperson said: “We have consistently stated that Ocado does not infringe any valid AutoStore IP, and we are pleased that the judge has now agreed with us.”
“This was a misconceived attempt by AutoStore to interfere with our business in the United States. We intend vigorously to continue our infringement claims against AutoStore in the United States and Europe.”
