Ocado to receive $350 million payout as Kroger shuts robotic warehouses
By James Davey and Yadarisa Shabong
Dec 5 (Reuters) - Britain's Ocado OCDO.L will receive a $350 million one-off payment from partner Kroger KR.N after the U.S. grocer opted to shut three robotic warehouses and scrap plans for another facility, the technology group said on Friday.
Shares in Ocado were up 6% at 0942 GMT, paring 2025 losses to 36%. The stock had plunged 17% on November 18 after Kroger reset its grocery e-commerce strategy, dealing a major blow to the Ocado investment story.
Kroger said the warehouses it built with Ocado at Frederick in Maryland, Pleasant Prairie in Wisconsin and Groveland in Florida would close in January.
On Friday, Ocado said Kroger had also decided not to proceed with a planned warehouse in Charlotte, North Carolina, that was due to start operating in 2026.
However, another site in Phoenix, Arizona, also due to open next year, will proceed and will include Ocado's new "AutoFreezer" technology.
Ocado's initial deal with Kroger in 2018 saw it identify 20 U.S. sites to build robotic warehouses, making the group Ocado's most important partner. However, so far, only eight have gone live, including the three slated for closure.
Kroger plans instead to boost its presence in quick grocery delivery through expanded relationships with delivery firms Instacart CART.O, DoorDash DASH.O and Uber Eats UBER.N.
The $350 million compensation payment to be made in January 2026 reflects the loss to Ocado of future capacity fees for affected sites.
The closure of the three live sites will reduce Ocado's fee revenue in fiscal 2026 by about $50 million.
Despite the closures, Ocado CEO Tim Steiner said the group remained "excited about the opportunity for Ocado's evolving products in the U.S. market".
He highlighted that Ocado was also offering store based automation "to support 'pick up' and immediacy."
"Today shows the relationship with Kroger is ongoing (and expanding), and flags, once again, that Ocado's technology is important if deployed in the right way," Peel Hunt analysts said.
Ocado also reconfirmed its priority of turning cash-flow positive during 2026, driven by growth in live and new sites, and underpinned by cost and capital discipline.
Peel Hunt analysts said that was "a strong signal for its future."
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