Ocado is looking to boost its U.S. automation business. (Photo by Katie Collins/PA Images via Getty Images)
PA Images via Getty Images
After more than a quarter of a century leading one of Britain’s most ambitious technology companies, Tim Steiner has finally put a timetable on his departure from grocery delivery specialist Ocado.
The co-founder will remain chief executive until the start of the company’s 2028 financial year before moving into a founder advisory role through 2029, bringing certainty to months of speculation over succession while giving the board time to identify his replacement.
Steiner’s eventual departure symbolizes a pivotal moment for a company that has transformed itself from an online grocery retailer into one of the world’s leading warehouse automation businesses, yet continues to wrestle with questions over whether its technology platform can consistently generate profitable international growth. And that answer matters most in North America.
Although Ocado remains synonymous with online grocery delivery in the U.K. through Ocado Retail, its long-term investment case increasingly depends on licensing its robotics, software and automated fulfillment technology overseas. The U.S., in particular, has always represented the largest opportunity and, increasingly, the greatest source of investor anxiety.
Steiner has spent much of the past decade convincing retailers that highly automated customer fulfillment centers represent the future of grocery ecommerce and his sales pitch won over some of the industry’s biggest names.
Steiner Courts U.S. Fulfillment
The company’s largest North American relationship remains with Kroger, America’s biggest traditional supermarket operator. Beginning in 2018, Kroger committed to rolling out dozens of automated fulfillment centers powered by Ocado’s technology, with the facilities combining robotics, artificial intelligence and software to process thousands of grocery orders efficiently.
Canada followed through Sobeys owner Empire Company, which also adopted Ocado’s technology for automated fulfillment.
These partnerships were once seen as proof that Ocado had successfully exported British retail technology to the world’s largest grocery markets. However, the picture looks more complicated today.
Several North American fulfillment centers have been closed or scaled back as grocery demand normalized after the pandemic and retailers reassessed expensive capital investment programs. Kroger has also reviewed elements of its ecommerce strategy, prompting concerns about the pace of future expansion.
That does not necessarily mean the partnerships are ending. Kroger continues to operate numerous Ocado-powered facilities, and both companies have emphasized ongoing collaboration. But the explosive rollout many investors once expected has slowed considerably.
That shift means Steiner’s successor will inherit a very different challenge from the one Ocado faced five years ago as the next chief executive will have to demonstrate measurable returns from the enormous investments already made.
Ocado Financials Improve
Recent financial performance suggests there are, at least, reasons for cautious optimism. Ocado reported full-year 2025 revenue of approximately $1.8 billion, up 12.1%, while adjusted EBITDA increased to roughly $240 million from $151 million a year prior. Perhaps most significantly, the company returned to a statutory profit of approximately $532 million, compared with a loss the previous year, although accounting factors contributed materially to that improvement.
And its stock price is down nearly a quarter in the year-to-date.
Earlier this year the company announced plans to eliminate around 1,000 positions as part of a broader effort to reduce costs and move toward sustainable positive cash flow. Investors have welcomed the emphasis on financial discipline after years during which growth often appeared to take precedence over profitability.
Yet Steiner is not simply the chief executive, he has long been the company’s principal evangelist, its chief technology salesman and arguably its strongest relationship builder with major international retailers.
Tim Steiner, chief executive officer of Ocado Group, is to transition to a new role. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg *** Local Caption *** Tim Steiner
Copyright 2013 Bloomberg Finance LP
That’s one reason several major shareholders reportedly resisted efforts to accelerate his departure during recent boardroom discussions.
The company has therefore opted for a gradual transition rather than an abrupt break, which also provides continuity for relationships across North America. Besides Kroger and Sobeys, Ocado has spent recent years broadening its commercial model by making aspects of its technology available beyond exclusive arrangements, allowing it greater flexibility to pursue additional customers in markets where previous contractual restrictions had limited expansion.
Ocado Needs To Prove Model
If Ocado can demonstrate stronger returns from existing facilities, particularly within Kroger’s network, it may yet unlock additional licensing opportunities across the U.S.
Competition, however, has intensified. Rivals including Walmart continue investing heavily in their own proprietary technologies, while Amazon keeps refining its grocery logistics capabilities through Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh.
Steiner remains in charge for another 18 months, giving him one final opportunity to strengthen the U.S. growth story, improve cash generation and demonstrate that Ocado’s automation platform can deliver consistent value for retailers.