Business
Asda partners with Ocado to overhaul online grocery in Allan Leighton turnaround push
Asda has turned to Ocado Group in an attempt to rescue an online grocery operation that has lagged the competition for the best part of a decade, signing a long-term deal that will see the Hatfield-based technology firm rebuild the supermarket’s digital shop window, in-store picking and last-mile delivery network.
Under the agreement, announced this week, Asda will deploy Ocado’s Smart Platform, the same end-to-end fulfilment stack used by more than 1,000 grocery stores in 11 countries, across its consumer-facing website and app, its in-store order assembly, and the planning systems that route vans to roughly 1,100 UK stores. The roll-out is scheduled to begin in 2027 with a refreshed online shopping experience, before progressing to picking and delivery improvements.
The tie-up is the boldest move yet by executive chairman Allan Leighton, who returned to the Leeds-based grocer in late 2024 after a quarter of a century away, and is being positioned as a central plank of his turnaround plan. Leighton, who built his reputation in British retail during Asda’s Walmart-era heyday, has spent the past 18 months pumping money into price, availability and store standards while attempting to halt years of market-share slippage.
“We know that continued success in this highly competitive market is dependent on providing a positive experience for customers every time they shop,” Leighton said. “Partnering with Ocado will strengthen our online offer and provide a consistent and high-quality experience for millions of shoppers, from order through to delivery, while supporting our formula for growth.”
The decision reflects a hard commercial reality. According to Kantar Worldpanel, Asda’s share of the British grocery market has drifted below 14 per cent, leaving it firmly third behind Tesco and Sainsbury’s and within touching distance of Aldi. Online, where Tesco and Sainsbury’s have long dominated and Ocado Retail has set the benchmark for service, the gap has been even more pronounced. Industry analysts have repeatedly cited a clunky digital experience, limited delivery slots and inconsistent in-store picking as drags on Asda’s growth.
Why Ocado, and why now
For Ocado, the deal is a much-needed vote of confidence in a Solutions division that has had a turbulent few years, with US partner Kroger scaling back its commitments to robotic warehouses. Adding a top-five British grocer to the client roster is significant, not least because it suggests the company’s lower-cost in-store fulfilment software, rather than the capital-intensive automated warehouses that made its name, is becoming the commercial workhorse.
Tim Steiner, Ocado Group’s chief executive, said the UK remained “one of the world’s most competitive and fast-evolving online grocery markets, where technology, scale and continuous innovation are increasingly important for retailers looking to maintain leadership positions”. He added that the platform now processes more than 70 million orders annually worldwide.
For Asda, the rationale is equally clear. Building a modern e-commerce stack in-house would have taken years and tied up scarce capital at a moment when the business is already grappling with substantial debt inherited from the 2021 Issa brothers and TDR Capital buyout. Buying capability off the shelf from a proven specialist allows the supermarket to focus management attention on the basics, price, range and store experience, while pushing its online proposition forward in parallel. As Ocado has repeatedly argued, the structural shift to online grocery shopping since the pandemic has not unwound, and the cost of falling behind is rising.
What customers should expect
In practical terms, shoppers should notice a slicker website and app from 2027, with improved search, more relevant product recommendations and a simpler checkout. Behind the scenes, Ocado’s in-store fulfilment software is designed to help pickers work faster and more accurately, while route-planning tools should squeeze more deliveries out of each van, translating, Asda hopes, into more available slots, fewer substitutions and better on-time performance.
Asda has confirmed it will retain full control of pricing, range and the wider customer proposition. The partnership is technology-led rather than a wholesale outsourcing arrangement, closer in spirit to a software licence than to the deep Ocado Retail joint venture model the group operates with Marks & Spencer.
The move also dovetails with Asda’s longer-running pivot towards online shopping, which has already prompted significant operational changes inside the business and put pressure on parts of its store estate. Leighton’s bet is that a credible online proposition, married to renewed price competitiveness in-store, is the only viable route back to growth for a chain that built its reputation on value but has, by its own admission, drifted in recent years.
Whether Ocado’s technology can deliver that turnaround is a different question. Implementations of this scale rarely run to schedule, and the 2027 start date gives rivals plenty of time to widen their lead. But after years of incremental fixes, Leighton has finally placed a strategic bet — and tied Asda’s online future to one of the few British technology firms that genuinely operates at supermarket scale.
Amy Ingham
Amy is a newly qualified journalist specialising in business journalism at Business Matters with responsibility for news content for what is now the UK’s largest print and online source of current business news.
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The Tourism Authority of Thailand and Agoda held a strategic meeting to enhance cooperation in travel intelligence and digital technology, promoting Thailand’s tourism globally and supporting sustainable practices and emerging destinations.
Strategic Tourism Partnership
Bangkok, 11 June 2026 – The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Agoda have united to enhance Thailand’s destination marketing and global competitiveness through travel intelligence and digital tools. TAT Governor Ms. Thapanee Kiatphaibool and Agoda CEO Mr. Omri Morgenshtern, along with their teams, met at Agoda’s One Bangkok office to discuss future strategies.
Leveraging Technology and Insights
The collaboration merges Agoda’s digital expertise with TAT’s marketing capabilities to generate demand from international markets and boost domestic travel. Their focus includes promoting wellness tourism and lesser-known destinations. This partnership also aims to foster sustainable industry practices as part of the Trusted Thailand initiative, using insights to develop targeted campaigns that highlight Thailand’s cultural heritage and diverse experiences.
Commitment to Thai Tourism Growth
Agoda, founded in Phuket, remains committed to supporting Thailand’s tourism through its extensive digital travel platform, offering access to millions of accommodations and travel activities worldwide. Mr. Morgenshtern emphasized opportunities in wellness travel and safety communications, aiming to showcase Thailand’s rich offerings to a global audience.
Source : TAT and Agoda harness travel intelligence for quality tourism growth in Thailand
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Record Trade Deficit Exacerbates Baht Weakness
Thailand’s economy is currently facing a significant challenge as its currency, the Baht, weakens despite the presence of portfolio inflows. A record USD 10.0 billion trade deficit in April, primarily driven by robust import activity, is exerting considerable downward pressure on the Baht. This widening gap between exports and imports has surpassed expectations, marking the seventh consecutive monthly deficit and representing the largest on record. The concerning trade imbalance is a central factor influencing the Baht’s stability in the near future, overshadowing other economic indicators.
Persistent Imports Undermine Baht Stability
Authorities have issued a clear warning regarding the continued pressure on the Thai Baht (THB) if import levels remain elevated. This strong import demand is directly contributing to the widening trade deficit, presenting a significant headwind for the currency. While the government anticipates a base-case export growth of 3%, with a potential range of -3% to +8%, the current import dynamics are proving to be a substantial impediment. The Baht has already experienced a 3.2% year-to-date depreciation against the US Dollar, even amidst growth in AI-related exports.
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Investors must hold shares of these companies in their demat accounts on the record date to be eligible for the respective corporate actions. The list remains tentative, as more companies may announce record dates for dividends, bonus issues and stock splits during the week.
Here is a day-wise list of corporate actions to watch out for this week:
June 15 (Monday)
SMC Global Securities has fixed June 15 as the record date for its final dividend of Rs 0.6 per share. The broking firm has a dividend yield of nearly 2%, according to data on Trendlyne.
June 16 (Tuesday)
Mini Diamonds (India) will turn ex-record date for a bonus issue of 1:1 on June 16. The company will issue one bonus share with a face value of Rs 2 each for every share held in the company as on the record date. The bonus shares are scheduled to be allotted by June 17.
RR Kabel has also fixed June 16 as the record date for its final dividend of Rs 5.5 per share.
June 17 (Wednesday)
Bengaluru-based real estate developer Brigade Enterprises has fixed June 17 (Wednesday) as the record date for its bonus issue in the ratio of 1:3. Earlier in May, Brigade Enterprises announced its first bonus issue in around seven years, coinciding with the release of its Q4 results. It had said that its board has approved the plan to issue one bonus share with a face value of Rs 10 each for every three shares held in the company as on the record date.
The company approved the plan to increase its share capital from Rs 250 crore, divided into 25 crore shares, to Rs 400 crore, divided into 40 crore shares.
Also read: Brigade Enterprises sets record date for 1:3 bonus share reward
Wednesday will also be the record date for dividend payments by Krishana Phoschem (Rs 0.5 per share), Madhya Bharat Agro Products (Rs 0.5 per share) and Steel City Securities (Rs 1 per share).
June 18 (Thursday)
The shares of Tata Technologies will turn ex-record date for a special dividend of Rs 3.35 per share and a final dividend of Rs 2 per share. HDB Financial Services has also fixed June 18 as the record date for a final dividend of Rs 2 per share.
Other stocks that have fixed Thursday as the record date for their respective dividends include Capital Small Finance Bank (Rs 5 per share), eMudhra (Rs 1.25 per share), GHCL (Rs 12 per share), Monika Alcobev (Rs 1 per share), Swastika Investmart (Rs 0.6 per share) and Vimta Labs (Rs 2 per share).
June 19 (Friday)
Friday will see some heavyweight companies turn ex-record date for their corporate actions. Private lender HDFC Bank has fixed June 19 as the record date for its final dividend of Rs 13 per share. Meanwhile, Tata Communications will see its shares trade ex-record date for a final dividend of Rs 17.50 per share.
Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles has also set June 19 as the record date for its Rs 3 per share final dividend, while HDFC Life Insurance Company will turn ex-record date for its dividend worth Rs 2.1 per share. Sanofi Consumer Healthcare India has fixed Friday as the record date for a final dividend of Rs 75 per share, while wires and cables manufacturer Polycab India will reward investors with a Rs 47 per share payout. IndiaMART InterMESH is setting a total dividend of Rs 60 per share, which includes a final dividend of Rs 30 and a special dividend of Rs 30.
In the power and automotive sectors, Torrent Power will pay its final dividend at Rs 5 per share. Additionally, healthcare firm Corona Remedies has earmarked a final dividend of Rs 10 per share. A host of other companies will also turn ex-record date for their respective dividends on June 19, including Solitaire Machine Tools (Rs 1.5 per share), AWL Agri Business (Rs 1 per share), Raghav Productivity Enhancers (Rs 1 per share), Amba Enterprises (Rs 0.75 per share), GHCL Textiles (Rs 0.6 per share) and Hindusthan Insulators & Industries (Rs 0.5 per share).
String Metaverse, meanwhile, will turn ex-record date for its 2:9 bonus issue on Friday.
Also read: Did City Union Bank shares really crash 23% in one day? Here’s how the bonus math works
(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
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