Ocado to Establish U.S. Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Ocado plans to establish an official U.S. base in Washington, D.C., and will operate out of an office in Tysons, Va., in the interim as the English e-commerce company continues to build its relationship with The Kroger Co. and Sobeys in Canada. 

Luke Jensen, CEO of Ocado Solutions, said the new office will give the company a "direct presence in North America" that will allow it to oversee its retail partnerships as well as "coordinate the recruitment and training of hundreds of highly skilled technologists and engineers across North America."

"We selected the D.C. area for its great connections to cities across the USA and Canada, as well as for its strong technology and engineering talent pools," Jensen said. 

Kroger and Ocado finalized their partnership last year, giving the retailer exclusive use of the Ocado Smart Platform in the U.S., with 20 automated Customer Fulfillment Centres (CFCs) in the works. Ocado is also working with Sobeys on a CFC in Canada. 

Kroger has revealed the locations of its first few CFCs, including Monroe, Ohio, near its Cincinnati headquarters, as well as central Florida and the Mid-Atlantic region.