Ocado

[oldbanger]

Ocado were only worth using regularly because of two things - the generous money off vouchers they gave long standing customers and because they mirrored the excellent range of products that Waitrose stocked (e.g. good meat deli products such as rillettes, gluten free food, organic toiletries - my daughter has eczema and can't use products with the foaming agent SLS which is in all mainstream stuff including the hypoallergenic brands).

They've stopped the vouchers now and their range is shrinking and becoming more generic. I haven't shopped with them for a while now - I live 20 mins away from a large Waitrose, and I'll top up the toiletries there when they start to run out (admittedly now at full price - I could get them 15% off at Ocado with the vouchers).

[CoolHands]

Wow I've just been reading this post (below) about ocado customer experience! Read the replies from people at the bottom!! I can't see it's going to be properly successful unless they address customers concerns. They all sound really pissed off!

http://www.chrisgreen.co.uk/522/how-do-you-solve-a...

[Agrilla]

I wouldn't be touching an investment with by a bargepole, but I *love* their service.

I've been using them almost since they reached the Midlands, and they are the only online grocer who consistently can normally completely fulfil my order (no missing items, no mischarged for items).

Nothing has ever arrived damaged, and the delivery guys are great - and now they're price matching Tesco on so much of their range, I'm shopping elsewhere less and less.

I have tried to use the Waitrose service, but my local Waitrose is teeny tiny, and I hate their website so I've stuck with Ocado.

[oldbanger]

Agrilla said:

I wouldn't be touching an investment with by a bargepole, but I *love* their service.

I've been using them almost since they reached the Midlands, and they are the only online grocer who consistently can normally completely fulfil my order (no missing items, no mischarged for items).

Nothing has ever arrived damaged, and the delivery guys are great - and now they're price matching Tesco on so much of their range, I'm shopping elsewhere less and less.

I have tried to use the Waitrose service, but my local Waitrose is teeny tiny, and I hate their website so I've stuck with Ocado.

I'm also in the midlands. I've definitely found them more reliable than the ordinary supermarkets in terms of supplying food that isn't on/past use by dates, isn't smashed up. Tesco and Sainsburys even kept standing me up. However don't ever order noxious chemicals from them - on the few occasions I've ordered things like weedkiller and mould cleaner (marked as toxic, do not put near food surfaces etc) they have packed it in the same bags as food - loaves of bread and so on. This includes leaking bottles of cleaners. Everything then has to be given back to the driver (assuming I spotted it before they left). Whilst I get a verbal apology their customer services don't really seem that concerned.

Oh and their product request service is rubbish, totally pointless.

[Beardy10]

Even at this share price it's still valued as a £500mil company which for a company that has sales of £500mil on tiny margins. When you think Waitrose turns over £10 bil and Tesco £35bil they really are sub scale.

Sure there is a point where if they grow sales enough the costs of their two distribution warehouses are covered but they have huge variable costs in the vans too.

[jon-]

MrJuice said:

I read somewhere that a banker had said pre IPO that 'ocado starts with O, ends in O and is worth 0'.

[Cheib]

Had our weekly Ocado delivery yesterday, asked the driver if he was busy...."no we've been really quiet....I only have 25 deliveries and normally do about 40 in a day"...."also there are 37 drivers just sitting in the depot today without any deliveries at all to make".

Hmmmm if ever there was anecdotal evidence a company is struggling that's it.

[DSLiverpool]

What's annoying (like the other turkey last minute. Com) the founders will make millions for conning the gullible with magic beans, PowerPoint and a dream of success.

I'm only jealous - I wish I could raise millions for a list cause and walk away with millions once it fails. In the case of Hoberman and the girl at last minute they also acquired online guru status FFs!!! For commissioning a loss making travel website.

Grrrrrr

[Deva Link]

DSLiverpool said:

I'm only jealous - I wish I could raise millions for a list cause and walk away with millions once it fails. In the case of Hoberman and the girl at last minute they also acquired online guru status FFs!!! For commissioning a loss making travel website.

It's incredible, isn't it? These people must sit there hardly able to believe that they got away with.

[David87]

I really like Ocado and don't really buy any groceries from anywhere else. I have a Tesco Extra literally half a mile from my house but to be honest I'd rather sit in front of the TV and order stuff online and not have to trudge around buying stuff I probably don't need. Oh, and [PH]Tesco is for poor people[/PH]. The Ocado iPad app is brilliant and they hardly ever don't have the stuff I order in-stock, unlike most other supermarket home delivery companies.

[Cheib]

Deva Link said:

DSLiverpool said:

I'm only jealous - I wish I could raise millions for a list cause and walk away with millions once it fails. In the case of Hoberman and the girl at last minute they also acquired online guru status FFs!!! For commissioning a loss making travel website.

It's incredible, isn't it? These people must sit there hardly able to believe that they got away with.

Seems like they have been selling on the way down

http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article...

That's fairly eye opening!

[dazco]

I bought from Ocado, they sent me a £20 off a forty pound shop so I thought I would taste a little of how the other half live.

I bought steaks I could not eat, a brisket that turned to rubber despite being cooked very slowly and some cured bacon too sweet to eat.

On the subject of profit I read the other day that Amazon has still not turned a profit since it began, how much would Amazon be considered to be worth?

Edited by dazco on Wednesday 7th December 02:29

[Andrew[MG]]

Deva Link said:

DSLiverpool said:

I'm only jealous - I wish I could raise millions for a list cause and walk away with millions once it fails. In the case of Hoberman and the girl at last minute they also acquired online guru status FFs!!! For commissioning a loss making travel website.

It's incredible, isn't it? These people must sit there hardly able to believe that they got away with.

I've had to work with these types a few times and it's a real PITA! They come up with a few ideas, shout at the 'experts' until it's done and then repeat the process. They succeed in that they create something, but it's hardly ever something valuable/sustainable.

[DSLiverpool]

All time low today 74p from a high of 285p - a busted flush

Lots of deluded home shoppers who bought in at the float (£20 voucher) feeling very bummed now

[DSLiverpool]

On Friday, Ocado Group PLC (OCDO:LSE) closed at 108.30, 107.87% above the 52 week low of 52.10 set on Dec 22, 2011.
.


Had a tickle at 63p Im out now and staying out

[Deva Link]

DSLiverpool said:

Had a tickle at 63p

Did you typo the price, otherwise you're letting PistonHeads down? Surely you loaded up at the truck at 53p and have now made enough to retire.

[DSLiverpool]

Deva Link said:

Did you typo the price, otherwise you're letting PistonHeads down? Surely you loaded up at the truck at 53p and have now made enough to retire.

Lol - no - I bottled it and jumped out at 14% to see it go far higher, and no retiring but the car insurance is paid for.

Stupid stock with no rhyme or reason for its ups and downs, however it is quite predictable (I predict huge drops next week) (set up to hit £1.50 now surely)

[CoolHands]

They're still going! - and hiring IT 'experts' from poland. They say they are "preparing to open another in Dordon, Warwickshire, next year, but Mr Steiner said it was being held back by the limitations of IT resources".

& for general info current share price 116.60p

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2143849/Br...

[Carlton Banks]

dazco said:

On the subject of profit I read the other day that Amazon has still not turned a profit since it began, how much would Amazon be considered to be worth?

Edited by dazco on Wednesday 7th December 02:29

That's untrue!

[DSLiverpool]

Carlton Banks said:

dazco said:

On the subject of profit I read the other day that Amazon has still not turned a profit since it began, how much would Amazon be considered to be worth?

Edited by dazco on Wednesday 7th December 02:29

That's untrue!

Dazco - you read a piece in Lex comparing amazon to best buy USA I think

Carlton - Its true, they have grown so quickly all profits are ploughed back and the overall profit is negative whilst divisions of it are wildly profitable. (also note they have a "sell at any cost mantra" in new sectors)


Found it:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/3/cdc5811c-832c-11e1-9f9a-...

High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using the link below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail. Email [e-mail] to buy additional rights. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/3/cdc5811c-832c-11e1-9f9a-...

But on margins, the comparison is particularly instructive: Amazon’s was less than 2 per cent last year and has been tightening. Not only is Best Buy competing against a company that does not have to pay for physical stores; it is competing against a company that does not care about making money. Perhaps Best Buy can stay on its feet until Amazon starts charging prices at which it can make a profit? Amazon’s customers also avoid sales tax and this probably isn’t permanent either

Edited by DSLiverpool on Monday 14th May 16:35