Has Ocado’s switch to M&S worked for you?

Another lockdown has shown the idiocy of getting rid of branded products and replacing them with M&S products. There are now many out-of-stock items as M&S cannot handle the supply and demand.

It is fairly obvious from the comments that customers are not happy losing their brands and being forced into buying M&S so it would be sensible to invite branded products back.

Surely the answer is for customers to switch away from Ocado, which has made a major commercial miscalculation – no doubt under financial pressure from M&S who thought they could just buy volume. Their product range is limited and does not appeal to everyone who generally like a mix of branded and own-label products with alternatives in each category.

Sainsbury’s home delivery service has served us very well throughout the last year or more and although we have done a bit of top-up shopping at M&S this has never been for essentials.

A small but significant percentage of what we buy each fortnight is not groceries and provisions [i.e. household, toiletries, health & beauty items] and it is very useful to have a supplier that can offer a wide range of such products to save having to order on-line or go out shopping.

If we weren’t in the middle of a pandemic John, I would agree with you, but at the moment it is impossible to get regular deliveries from other supermarkets as Ocado has been my main food supplier for so long. After a very rocky start and feeling abandoned by Ocado at the start of the pandemic I now get regular deliveries, so am better off than many others.

Ocado Retail Q4 Trading Statements
Customers continue to embrace the full M&S range with the biggest selling lines coming from everyday essentials in the M&S fresh categories
That is a joke as most of the competition has been removed or M&S vastly undercut the prices of branded products such as cheese. M&S are almost the only supplier of many fruit and vegetables.

Melanie Smith, Ocado Retail’s Chief Executive Officer, said:
“We continue to make good progress bringing even greater choice, quality, and value to our customers following the switchover to M&S at the beginning of September. At Ocado Retail we are constantly looking to raise the bar even further and the addition of M&S products to our grocery ranges has enhanced what was already the widest choice of products available online.
That statement can only have come from an M&S person. Ocado might be bringing greater choice, quality and value to old M&S customers, but certainly not Ocado customers who see less and less choice and quality.

To add to my growing list of kicked-out products, my dairy-free mushroom soup has now been axed – organic Auga Champignon Soup with 50% champignons.

I think Ocado are in for a massive shock when it is safe to go shopping again. They are alienating their old faithful customers for what? M&S customers? Pandemic customers? Reviews show M&S products are not as good as M&S think they are.

People are fed up with being stuck indoors and want to go out again which will include going into supermarkets and Ocado are giving them little reason to stay.

I am not convinced that supermarkets are unsafe for customers who take the correct precautions and observe social distancing. The majors have done a lot to protect their customers and expanded their home delivery services to meet demand. Perhaps it is local good fortune, but it has not been difficult for us to get convenient slots with Sainsbury’s and some slots are offered free of charge because of low demand.

Of course, if people panic and over-order then problems will arise.

A friend went to Lidl recently, was very satisfied with the arrangements, was pleased with her purchases, and saved some money into the bargain.

“People are fed up with being stuck indoors and want to go out again which will include going into supermarkets and Ocado are giving them little reason to stay.”.
This is an attitude we have to deal with if we are to get any control of the epidemic. People must control themselves for the next few months and we must, where necessary, enforce the rules.
The question to put to people who refuse to take necessary precautions is “do you want to contract Covid and risk having a lifetime of severe health problem and possibly to die, and do you want to take the risk of doing the same to others including your own family and loved ones?”