Become a supplier

The first step is to complete our online application. Once we’ve checked out your application, the relevant Buyer will use the information you give to decide whether your product is a good fit for Ocado.

All products must be delivered to our Customer Fulfilment Centres (CFCs) in Hatfield, Dordon, Andover, Erith, Purfleet, Bristol, Bicester.

If you need, we have a network of vehicles that can collect products as an alternative to delivering directly to us. Frozen suppliers can choose to work with Lineage; ambient suppliers can deliver to PW Gates – a consolidator that allows deliveries to central points in Bedford and Welwyn Garden City. Feel free to discuss your options once a Buyer has been in touch.

We deliver to parts of England and Wales (for now). We’re expanding all the time, but if you have a specific postcode in mind, check www.ocado.com/postcode

Not initially – we’re a growing organisation with a rather busy post room. Please complete the online application first, and when your application has been reviewed, the relevant Buyer will let you know if they’d like samples. 

At a later stage, if your application is successful, we’ll need samples prior to selling your product so we can weigh and measure them. We do this to make sure our systems have the correct information so we can optimise packing totes and vans, and storage in our CFCs.

We’re always on the lookout for great products – we’re always on the look-out for great products. Fill out our online application form and once it’s been reviewed, the relevant Buyer will be in touch.

Our Buyers want to be the first to find new products that aren’t widely available, but they’re also excited to see products with competitive commercials. They’re always looking for new or growing trends, or products that add a point of difference to their category. Do a spot of research and have a look at what we already offer in your category before applying – it may just give you an edge on the competition.

It’s an outline of the range you want to launch with us. If you’re getting in touch about one product, then it’s all about your hero; if you have products in multiple sizes, your range proposal is likely to be a selection of your bestsellers.

An overview of the special offers you want to use to attract our customers throughout your first year with us. Before you speak to a Buyer, have a think about what this plan should look like. Have a nosey at what your competitors are already doing on ocado.com and elsewhere. Don’t forget, it’s important to consider your overall costs when planning this.

Retail-ready businesses can deliver to our Customer Fulfillment Centres in appropriate vehicles (temperature-controlled, if required) on a single case or layer basis, or on pallets, in robust packaging. Retail-ready products have barcodes and date code information – ‘use-by’ and ‘sell-by’ dates, which are compliant with EU/UK labelling legislation. Find out more in the legal FAQs below.

If you operate in an EU country, you must be registered to an EU address and with your local government. In the UK, this is Environmental Health. Registering doesn’t cost anything, and you can start the process by contacting the Environmental Health Officer at your local council.

Packaging needs to be robust enough to withstand our picking process, this is especially important if the contents are liquid or fragile. It also needs a barcode and to comply with UK Regulations (feature ‘use-by’ dates, allergen and nutritional information). Extensive information is available on the Food Standards Agency website.

If a food business believes their product is unsafe, they’re legally obliged to withdraw it from sale and inform customers the reason for recall. A product recall plan details how you will manage this process. It should include an email and telephone number where you, or a senior member of your team can be contacted on a 24/7 basis.

We accept accreditation from the British Retail Consortium Specify Grade A or above accreditation. In addition, we also accept Safe And Local Supplier Approval (SALSA) or BRC START.

Yes – we have a weight restriction of 15kg, and product dimensions must be under 534mm x 334mm x 340mm.

We’re the world’s largest dedicated online grocery supermarket. We’re powered by a unique fulfilment and logistics machine – everything we do is designed to give customers the best service possible. Our suppliers deliver directly to our Customer Fulfillment Centres, where products can be put away, packed, and sent out to customers in as little as five hours. We’ve got a short supply chain and rapid turnover, which helps us offer customers a freshness guarantee.

A number of things might affect minimum order quantities, such as the temperature your product needs to be kept at, or the anticipated rate of sale. We will order initial product quantities in either cases or layers, depending on your product. We’re unable to accept initial orders in pallet quantities.

If your application is successful, your Buyer will discuss this with you during the ranging process.

Right now, we’re delivering to over 74% of the UK population through four distribution centres, or Customer Fulfillment Centres, as we call them. These are in Hatfield, Dordon, Andover, Erith, Purfleet, Bristol, Bicester.

If your products are chilled or frozen, then you will need temperature controlled distribution. If you don’t have suitable delivery equipment, then once your application is accepted your supply chain contact can give you a list of recommended hauliers.

If your application is successful and you’re unable to organise your own suitable transport, we have a network of vehicles that can collect products as an alternative to delivering directly to us. Frozen suppliers can choose to work with Lineage; ambient suppliers can deliver to PW Gates – a consolidator that allows deliveries to central points in Bedford and Welwyn Garden City. Feel free to discuss your options once a Buyer has gotten in touch with you.

If your application is successful, we’ll need samples prior to selling your product so we can weigh and measure them. We do this to make sure our systems have the correct information so we can optimise packing totes and vans, and storing in our CFCs.

Special offers are a strong incentive for customers to try something new; remember, online customers can’t touch, smell or compare products like they can in store. Also, each customer sees a different version of the website according to their buying habits. This means that they see products in a different order too. Promotions put products higher up the assortment and give your brand increased visibility.

This depends on lots of things, such as your category, what your competitors are doing, and the retail price of your product. Doing a spot of research online is always a good idea, but a good rule of thumb is to mix reduction promotions (e.g. Save 25%) and multibuys (e.g. 3 for 2).

The art of successful promotions can vary from one category to the next. Head to ocado.com and take a look at the competition in your category – it will give you an idea of where to start. If your application is accepted, your Buyer will happily advise on what they think will work best for you.

There are lots of marketing opportunities available. We offer targeted sampling campaigns, graphic banners on relevant product pages, social media, features in our customer magazine, Ocadolife, and more. If your application is accepted, your Buying Manager will provide you with an information pack, and help you decide what will work best for your brand.

Of course, chat to your Buyer about getting access to Beet – our inhouse database that contains all transactional customer insights.

Brandbank manages digital brand content. If your application is successful, we will need you to subscribe to Brandbank and upload this information before you can go live on ocado.com. It hosts product information (or ‘back of pack’ as we call it) and high resolution imagery. This is really important for selling your products online, where customers want to see as much information as possible.

A reference to the temperature your product(s) needs to be stored at. In this case, room temperature.

Product information you’d usually find on packaging, like product description and nutritional information. Some suppliers like to include extra information, such as other products in the range, or awards they’ve won.

A digital content management platform which makes sure your product images and information are readily available. Without it, your product images and information won’t appear on Ocado.

Customer Fulfilment Centre. This is what we call our warehouses, and is where suppliers deliver products, so we can pick, pack and deliver them to customers. Other businesses might call this a distribution centre – but we think they’re so much more that that.

This is a reference to the temperature your product(s) needs to be stored at. In this case, refrigerated but not frozen.

This stands for Food Information Regulation and is the European legislation governing what information needs to be displayed on food products. It includes nutritional and allergy information, as well as use-by and sell-by dates. More information is available on the Food Standards Agency website.

This is a reference to the temperature your product(s) needs to be stored at. In this case, in the freezer.

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point, a Food Standards Agency approved system which helps food businesses ensure the food they make or serve is safe to eat.

A third-party who will transport products on your behalf to our Customer Fulfillment Centres.

When Buyers refer to media, they’re talking about advertising on the website – banners, featured products, that sort of thing. Media plans are a bit like promotional plans – it’s an agreement between Buyers and suppliers about brand advertising on our website.

Your product location in our Customer Fulfillment Centres. Products sit in pick faces whilst waiting to be picked by our Personal Shoppers.

Your in-case-of-emergency process for getting products back from customers if there is something wrong. For example, you’d need to know what to do if there was a labelling error, or if the ‘use-by’ dates were incorrect.

Special offers, discounts. Here’s a list of common mechanics:

Link deal e.g. Buy 3 packs of eggs, get egg cup free.

Multibuy e.g. Buy 1, Add 1 Free.

Reduction promo e.g. Half Price, Save 1/3, or £1 off.

An overview of the special offers and marketing activity you plan to run with us throughout the year. Other companies sometimes call this a Joint Business Plan (JBP).

When you’re browsing our site and you click on a product, a small window will pop up showing a brief overview of the product, including image, name, price and description. This is the quickview. You can click through to see more detailed product information – we call this the back of pack (BOP).

This covers businesses and products. Retail-ready businesses are able to deliver products to our Customer Fulfillment Centres in appropriate vehicles – temperature-controlled if required – on pallets and in robust packaging. Retail-ready products have barcodes and date code information – ‘use-by’ and ‘sell-by’ dates, which are compliant with EU/UK legislation. Find out more in our legal stuff section above.

Eight or nine digit number we use to identify each product. Why? Well, long descriptions don’t work very well in Excel, or in algorithms.

The container used for storage in the CFCs and delivery to customers of products. All products have to fit within a tote without exception (max. 5kg and under 534mm x 334mm x 340mm).

Our process of weighing and measuring each product, and loading that information onto our systems so we’re able to optimise efficient use of our CFCs, totes and vans.