Online Grocery Is a Decathlon — Ocado's European President on Making E-Commerce Profitable

Gregor Ulitzka (President, Europe at Ocado Group) makes the case that online grocery isn't a sprint — it's a decathlon. Mastering logistics, availability, pricing, last-mile and customer experience simultaneously is the only path to profitability. From Ocado's origins as the UK’s first pure-play online grocer to a technology platform and solutions business powering e-commerce for some of the world's biggest grocers — this is a masterclass in what it actually takes to make online grocery work. Gregor and host Natalie Berg discuss: → The "detail, detail, detail" principle behind sustainable online grocery profitability → How Ocado moved from retailer to platform — and why that distinction matters for every grocer → The hidden failure mode when offline grocers go digital → Where AI genuinely adds value in grocery (and where human beats algorithm every time) → Retail 2036: will AI agents be doing all the grocery shopping for us? 🤝 Today's episode is brought to you by Manhattan Associates https://www.manh.com/ CHAPTERS 00:00 — Online Grocery Is a Decathlon 00:57 — Guest Introduction: Gregor Ulitzka 02:37 — Ocado's European Mandate 04:22 — Diagnosis: Shifting Consumer Habits & the 2-Hour Delivery Myth 08:11 — Partnership Playbook: Alcampo, Asda, And More 11:12 — CFC vs In-Store: The Infrastructure Decision 15:50 — Unlocking Profitability in E-Grocery 18:42 — 2036 Outlook: AI & the Future of Retail ABOUT OUR GUEST Gregor is president of Europe at the Ocado Group. As the first person to hold this role, he is responsible for the growth and operations of Ocado Solutions across the region. Prior to joining in 2023, Gregor built and scaled the vendor-facing supply chain at Amazon for over 10 years, with his most recent role for the business being director of supply chain and inventory management for Europe. ABOUT THE PODCAST 🎙️ Retail Disrupted is a Top 5% Global Podcast with the leaders and disruptors shaping the future of retail. Hosted by retail analyst Natalie Berg. 👉 Subscribe on YouTube:    / @retaildisrupted   👉 Subscribe on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast... 👉 Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5H0TALn... 👉 Follow on LinkedIn:   / retail-disrupted   👉 Subscribe to our newsletter: https://retaildisrupted.substack.com #OnlineGrocery #RetailStrategy #OcadoGroup #GroceryDelivery #FutureOfRetail #RetailDisrupted #LastMileDelivery #GroceryTech #RetailLeadership #EcommerceStrategy