Online grocery retailer Ocado is to launch a number of general merchandise websites. The move will place it in direct competitor with Boots, Pets at Home and Amazon.
Ocado has unveiled plans to sell non-food products online through a number of new websites. The online retailer will sell products under the categories of baby, pets, health and beauty, and home and garden on the dedicated websites. The move will place the etailer in direct competition with companies such as Boots, B&Q, Pets at Home and Amazon.
Tim Steiner, CEO of Ocado, has stated that he wants to move the company from a supermarket to a hypermarket. Speaking to Retail Week, Steiner said that the new strategy will take the online grocer to the level of a specialist store. The first website will be launched in the first half of 2013. On June 26, Ocado reported that gross sales rose 12 per cent to £332.3 million in the 24 weeks to May 13.
With so many online shoppers carrying out competitor price monitoring, it is little surprise that the online grocer wants to extend its offerings into additional non-food categories. Retail pricing intelligence is now driving dynamic pricing with more retailers signing up to such services.
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