Ocado, the UK’s largest online grocer, has said it views news that retail giant Tesco is increasing its focus on e-retailing as an “opportunity” rather than a threat.

Unveiling its first-half results yesterday (4 October), Tesco CEO Philip Clarke revealed that the group plans to increase its online expansion. He told reporters at a conference in London that Tesco wants to be at the forefront of the online revolution, not “a victim of it”.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

The company has already increased its click and collect store numbers to 90 and revealed that its online food business is already turning a profit.

A spokesperson for Ocado told just-food that the company expected to continue to benefit from the increasing numbers of people shopping online and described Tesco’s initiative as an “opportunity”.

“This is actually an opportunity for us. There is a change underway in the shopping habits of customers. If more customers start shopping online, history has shown that this represents an opportunity for Ocado.”

Earlier this week, Ocado rolled out its Low Price Promise throughout the UK. The marketing campaign compares Ocado and Tesco prices on branded and own label goods.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Explaining why Ocado has targeted Tesco in its markting campaign, the spokesperson said: “Tesco are the biggest in the market so a good benchmark for us.”

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact