Ocado signs deal in Poland as High Court patents hearing begins

Online grocery business Ocado has signed a deal with supermarket giant Auchan to build a warehouse in Poland to serve customers in the Warsaw region.

The deal is the second signed with the retailer, having agreed to partner with Auchan in Spain last year.

Ocado’s exclusive deal will see a customer fulfilment centre built in 2024, with further sites in the pipeline, covering food and non-food products.

The announcement comes as Ocado goes to the High Court in London in a battle against rival AutoStore over claims of patent infringement.

AutoStore is claiming Ocado breached three of its patents for parts of its robot pickers in a dispute that has already seen hearings take place.in the US and Germany.

The four-week trial will start on Tuesday, with Ocado aiming to prove that the patents AutoStore says have been breached were already in the public domain before they were filed.

Bosses will tell the court that the designs were shared with a Russian bank in 2010 as part of plans to offer the robots to transfer money around its vaults, making the patents invalid.

They will also argue that the patents have not been breached in any case because the designs are different and its robots are designed for picking food, rather than cash.

The disputes have already cost both companies tens of millions of pounds in legal fees but Ocado is hopeful that a recent US ruling in its favour can help secure victory in court in London.

Speaking about the deal in Poland, Ocado boss Tim Steiner said: “We are pleased to bring a second Auchan business to our global platform, and to welcome Auchan Poland to the club of innovative and forward-looking retailers who are using the Ocado Smart Platform to power their online grocery business.

“Today though we recognise that this announcement comes at a very difficult time for everyone in Poland, including many cherished colleagues working in our technology development centres in Wrocław, Krakow and elsewhere.

“The human tragedy unfolding in Ukraine, and the refugee crisis along its borders, has shocked the world.”

Auchan Retail Poland chief executive Gerard Gallet said: “In the current very difficult context we are faced with, our teams are very committed to help Ukrainian refugees with the support of NGOs like Caritas and Red Cross.

“We strongly call for peace in Ukraine. At the same time, we would like to prepare our company for the future.”