British online grocer Ocado is expanding to France via a partnership with supermarket giant Casino, marking Ocado’s first major international expansion.
Ocado has long been seeking to expand outside the U.K., and reports earlier this year said the company may have been considering a deal with Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix Super Markets.
Groupe Casino, which is one of the largest retailers in France and the world, will have exclusive rights to use Ocado’s technologies, including robotics and delivery software, in France, according to reports.
Ocado also has a partnership to deliver groceries for supermarket chain Morrison’s in the U.K.
“We expect this deal to be one of many successful collaborations with leading retailers the world over,” Tim Steiner, Ocado’s CEO, was quoted as saying in a Reuters report.
According to the report, Casino plans to build a massive e-commerce warehouse near Paris to serve Casino’s Monoprix banner in Paris, Normandy and the Haute de France region.
The move comes amid Amazon’s increasing presence in grocery e-commerce in both the U.S. and Europe.
