NEWS FROM OCADO

Grocery pioneer Ocado is continuing its mission to deliver ‘on the go’ shopping to the masses by launching the UK’s first ever transactional supermarket app on BlackBerry.

A staggering 18.6 per cent of all Ocado checkouts are now attributable to mobile devices , little more than two years on from the arrival of an Ocado On The Go shopping app to Apple’s iPhone. Ocado, the first supermarket in the world to sell over iPhone, has since expanded its popular m-commerce platform to Android handsets and the iPad; and now extends it even further to BlackBerry and Windows Phone 7 handsets.

BlackBerry is a logical progression for the online grocer, given its reputation as the businessperson’s mobile of choice. Recent Ocado analysis of food shopping habits has found that orders made using the Ocado On The Go app are highest during peak travel times , in turn suggesting that mobile shoppers regularly use the daily commute to place their weekly shop. According to October 2011 data from Canalys, BlackBerry was the number one selling Smartphone in the UK .

Launched this week, the Ocado On The Go app for BlackBerry is both touch-screen and roller-ball enabled, and offers a specially-designed interface compatible with over 30 different models and handsets. Upgrades, including barcode scanning and delivery slot syncing with phone calendars, will be implemented in the coming weeks.

Ocado’s move onto BlackBerry coincides with a progression onto Windows Phone 7 handsets, a platform given added momentum by Nokia’s deal with Microsoft to use its operating system in place of Symbian. Both apps will provide customers with great value – across Ocado’s entire 21,000-product catalogue - and basket-filling flexibility around the clock, whether price matching on thousands of Tesco products on the commute to work or finalising Christmas plans at the school gates.

Interestingly, further sales data has revealed that Ocado On The Go customers have a different palate to those who place their orders via Ocado.com. While webshop users stock up on indulgent treats such as home baking products, wine and butter , , those using the app tend to prefer healthier ingredients with fresh fruit, veg, fruit juice and salads top buys .

Jason Gissing, co-founder of Ocado, comments: “Ocado is proud to be a major innovator when it comes to mobile commerce.

“Ocado On The Go is the first BlackBerry app in the UK to support supermarket shopping and the app’s arrival on to Windows Phone 7 will widen our reach even further, which is hugely exciting.

“Busy workers and casual mobile users alike can now find everything they need to ensure their households run smoothly; over 21,000 great value and quality products in their pocket.”

Available to customers today, find Ocado On The Go for BlackBerry by visiting the BlackBerry App World through your handset; the Ocado On The Go app for Windows Phone 7 is available from the Windows Phone Marketplace.