Ocado Retail chief executive Hannah Gibson has affirmed that Ocado Group and M&S are “absolutely aligned”, despite the ongoing dispute over a withheld final payment for the online retailer.
Last month, M&S put the final payment instalment to the group on hold after the online supermarket tie-up missed key performance targets.
While M&S is due to pay Ocado the payment of £190.7m by August, this is dependent on the grocer’s performance against an undisclosed target in the year to November 2023.
Ocado Group CEO Tim Steiner has since said that the technology company has “a very solid case to get full payment” from M&S.
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When questioned over whether Ocado Group would consider suing M&S, Steiner said last month: “We are very confident that we are owed a substantial sum of money and ultimately, I hope we’ll never get there, but we will not walk away from that sum of money.”
Despite the dispute, Gibson insisted that both businesses are “working really closely operationally together”.
“They were in a board meeting and there were positive conversations and relationships going on focused on what we’re doing now to grow and improve the business.”
She added: “There’s been a lot of focus externally on our shareholders but I’m just 100% focused on running the business and proving our proposition for our customers.”
“I think we’re all absolutely aligned. There’s a huge opportunity ahead for Ocado Retail, and we’re super focused on making sure that we’re progressing on those plans.”
It comes as Ocado’s sales and volumes have surged in the first quarter of 2024 as the online supermarket “stepped up” to expand its product range and availability.
