Grocery Tech Company Expands Automated Fulfillment Centers in Japan

Grocery technology company Ocado Group is expanding its robotic warehouse presence in Japan through its ongoing partnership with retailer Aeon.

Ocado announced plans to build a new automated warehouse for Aeon in the Kuki-Miyashiro area in the Saitama prefecture, an hour from Tokyo.

The warehouse, expected to go live in 2027, will leverage Ocado’s Smart Platform (OSP), a configurable logistics solution that leverages AI and on-rail robots to automate fulfillment.

The site will be Ocado’s third in Japan. It opened a site in Honda-cho in 2023 and a second warehouse in Hachioji will open in 2026.

Ocado said the Japanese retailer will benefit from increased productivity helping it reduce costs and address challenges labor availability challenges.

“As demonstrated by the state-of-the-art customer fulfillment center in Honda, Ocado is helping Aeon to provide a seamless online grocery experience to customers across Tokyo,” said Tim Steiner, Ocado Group’s CEO. “We can’t wait to bring this service to even more customers in the years to come.”

Ocado’s OSP warehouses contain a fleet of on-rail robots that autonomously pick items, carrying them to stations where orders are backed by humans or robotic arms.

Once orders are set, they’re loaded into crates and Ocado’s Automated Frameload system sends them to be dispatched.

Related:Ocado Acquires Robotics Startup to Scale Autonomous Packaging Systems

The platform also uses AI technologies, including software that optimizes a delivery vehicle’s load, ensuring products reach customers quickly and efficiently.

On the retailer’s side, the OSP platform works with e-commerce sites to streamline ordering. 

The platform connects to the retailer’s supply chain to provide accurate updates to customers on product availability. It can also generate personalized product suggestions including reminders for frequently purchased products.

Outside of Japan, retailers using Ocado’s OSP platform include Kroger, Australian supermarket Coles and Morrison’s in the U.K.