TL;DR:
• Ocado's robotic arms now pack 40% of all grocery orders, up from prototype status in 2018
• System packed 30+ million orders in 2024, targeting 80% automation within 3 years
• Technology powers deliveries for Kroger across 14 US states plus major retailers globally
• AI breakthrough allows robots to handle complex items like bags of oranges previously impossible to automate
Ocado's revolutionary robotic picking arms have quietly transformed grocery fulfillment, now handling 40% of orders across Kroger, Morrisons, and Sobeys deliveries. The British tech company's OGRP system packed over 30 million orders in 2024 with fewer than 100 arms installed, signaling the arrival of truly autonomous retail logistics that could reshape how millions receive their groceries.
Ocado just crossed a milestone that most shoppers won't notice but every retailer should fear. The British grocery automation company's robotic arms are now packing 40% of all orders flowing through its warehouses, a quantum leap from the prototype curiosities they were just years ago. Deputy CEO James Matthews tells me the company expects to hit 80% automation "in the next two or three years," fundamentally changing how groceries reach consumers across multiple continents.
The numbers behind this transformation are staggering. Ocado's On-Grid Robotic Pick (OGRP) system packed over 30 million orders in 2024 using fewer than 100 robotic arms. By year's end, the company projects nearly 500 arms will be operational across its network. Each arm works alongside 500 traditional Grid robots in an orchestrated dance of efficiency that would make any logistics executive weep with envy.
What makes this breakthrough particularly significant is the technology's reach. While shoppers might not recognize the Ocado name, they've likely received groceries packed by these robots. The company's automation powers Kroger deliveries across 14 US states, Sobeys operations in Canada, and Morrisons plus Ocado's own brand in the UK, with additional clients spanning Europe and Asia.
The technical achievement here goes beyond mere mechanical precision. Eight years ago, when The Verge first visited an Ocado facility, "nothing stumps a robot quite like a bag of oranges," we reported. The unpredictable movement, lack of grip points, and risk of damage seemed insurmountable. Yet Matthews reveals the robots have "figured it out for themselves" through AI learning, now attaching suction cups to labels and lifting entire bags - a skill they developed through experimentation, not programming.
