Japanese supermarket operator Aeon is seeking to expand its e-commerce arm by hiring British online grocer Ocado.
Aeon will use Ocado’s technology to set up a new online platform capable of fulfilling national orders to a level of ¥600 billion (US$5.52 billion) in sales by 2030, and ¥1 trillion ($9.13 billion) within the following five years.
The move is a defense effort against rivals in the territory such as Amazon and Walmart-backed Seiyu as the online grocery market appears poised to expand in Japan, according to a Reuters report.
Ocado’s software system is the basis of its £8.1 billion ($10.46 billion) market valuation, despite its meagre 1.4-per-cent share of Britain’s grocery market.