Asda is preparing a major overhaul of its online grocery service through a new technology partnership with Ocado Group. The first customer-facing changes are expected in early 2027 and will affect Asda’s website, mobile app, store-picking systems and home deliveries across the UK.
Asda currently fulfils more than 700,000 online grocery orders each week. Ocado’s Smart Platform will replace important parts of the retailer’s existing ecommerce infrastructure, starting with improvements intended to make product searches, recommendations and checkout simpler.
What will change for Asda customers?
The first phase will upgrade Asda’s website and online shopping experience. Customers are expected to receive improved search results, more relevant product suggestions and a more stable checkout process when the new system goes live.
Ocado technology will later be introduced across Asda stores and dedicated online fulfilment sites. The tools will help employees find products, assemble orders and manage substitutions more efficiently.
The partnership also includes last-mile delivery software, which manages the final journey between a store or fulfilment hub and the customer’s address. Improved route planning is intended to support more on-time deliveries and create additional slots by making better use of Asda’s existing fleet.
Asda will retain control of its online business
The agreement is a technology partnership, not a transfer of Asda’s grocery operation to Ocado. Asda will remain responsible for its prices, product range, customer service and daily online operations.
Scheduled deliveries and click-and-collect orders will continue to be fulfilled through Asda stores and existing hubs. Customers will still place orders through Asda’s website and app rather than Ocado.com.
The initial plan does not involve moving Asda orders into Ocado’s robotic customer fulfilment centres. Ocado will instead provide the underlying software used for ecommerce, in-store picking and delivery planning.
Rapid delivery service reaches more Asda stores
Asda has continued expanding its existing delivery options while preparing for the 2027 technology rollout. On 23 June 2026, the retailer announced that Deliveroo service had been extended to more than 300 additional superstores.
The expansion increased Deliveroo coverage to over 850 Asda locations and made more than 10,000 products available for rapid delivery. These orders are currently placed through Deliveroo, picked by Asda employees and delivered by the third-party platform.
Under the Ocado agreement, orders received through services such as Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats will eventually be processed using Ocado’s technology. This means the platform will support scheduled shopping, click and collect, short-notice orders and third-party deliveries.
Why Asda is investing in new technology
The Ocado partnership was announced on 29 May 2026 during a wider Asda turnaround led by executive chairman Allan Leighton. Leighton returned to the supermarket in late 2024, more than 20 years after previously serving as its chief executive.
Asda recorded more than £21 billion in sales during 2025 and operates approximately 1,100 stores. That network provides significant online capacity, but dependable grocery delivery requires accurate stock records, efficient picking and carefully planned routes.
The retailer has made other operational and financial changes, including its £568 million Blue Owl store transaction. That sale-and-leaseback arrangement focused on raising capital, while the Ocado agreement targets ecommerce performance.
UK supermarkets are modernising their systems
Asda’s investment reflects a wider shift towards technology-led grocery retail. Tesco has begun introducing QR codes on selected own-brand products to support product information, stock management and more targeted recalls.
Online competition is not limited to website design. Customers increasingly judge supermarkets by stock accuracy, suitable substitutions, delivery punctuality and the availability of convenient time slots.
Ocado says its platform supports around 70 million orders annually across 11 countries, while its in-store fulfilment technology is used in more than 1,000 grocery stores worldwide. The full terms and rollout details are available in the official Ocado and Asda partnership announcement.
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When the Ocado platform will launch
Asda and Ocado will prepare the new infrastructure before the planned early-2027 launch. The website and app changes will come first, followed by store-picking and delivery-management systems.
The existing online grocery service will continue operating during the transition. The success of the partnership will ultimately depend on whether it produces more accurate orders, dependable deliveries and improved slot availability without disrupting customers as the technology is introduced.
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