Ocado and Japanese retailer Aeon are launching a third customer fulfilment centre (CFC) in Japan under their continued partnership.
The new facility, which will be based in Kuki-Miyashiro, the Saitama prefecture of Japan, is set to open in 2027, and was unveiled as the retailer marked the first anniversary of its launch of its Aeon Next online grocery delivery brand.
The business’s first CFC opened in July 2023 in Honda-cho, Midori-ku, Chiba-city, to serve customers across the Kanto region. This is set to be followed by a second CFC in Hachioji, due to open in 2026.
Additionally, the Japanese retailer is upgrading its live operations with the latest Ocado technologies, including its on-grid robotic pick service.
The UK ecommerce giant claimed this would boost labour productivity levels across Aeon’s operations, allowing it to further reduce the cost to serve and address the long term challenges of labour availability in Japan.
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The retail and tech firm added that further CFCs were planned with the retailer.
Ocado CEO Tim Steiner said: “Today is an exciting moment for Aeon and Ocado’s relationship as we deepen our already strong partnership.
“As demonstrated by the state-of-the-art CFC live in Honda, Ocado is helping Aeon Next to provide a seamless online grocery experience to customers across Tokyo. We can’t wait to bring this service to even more customers in the years to come.”
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