Waitrose boss refuses to meet Ocado chief after Morrisons deal
Head of Ocado, Tim Steiner, said Waitrose boss, Mark Price, has given him the cold shoulder after the online grocer made a deal with rival Morrison Supermarkets, The Telegraph reported.
Head of Ocado, Tim Steiner, said Waitrose boss, Mark Price, has given him the cold shoulder after the online grocer made a deal with rival Morrison Supermarkets, The Telegraph reported.
Ocado, which looks after the online operations of Waitrose, has agreed to help Morrisons launch its first shopping website.
The reaction to the agreement has been a "joke", Steiner said after delivering the annual British Retail Consortium lecture.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Steiner said Price is refusing to meet him and has been ignoring his emails and text messages.
His comments come after Waitrose said it was consulting lawyers and keeping a close watch on the Morrisons deal to make sure Ocado doesn't breach its contract with the premium supermarket.
Steiner added that Ocado's rise to the top has ruffled a few feathers at Waitrose.
"We have gone from a toddler to an unruly teenager. Now we are an adult," he stated.
"Sometimes the parent doesn't like it when the child grows up."
Waitrose said Price would meet Steiner but only after the grocer looked into the contract between Morrisons and Ocado.
RD
Sign up for MoneyWeek's newsletters
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.
-
Watch out for fake Steven Bartlett video – you could lose thousands
Scammers are trying to tap into the Trump tariffs chaos, but knowing what to look out for could save you thousands of pounds, says Kalpana Fitzpatrick
By Kalpana Fitzpatrick
-
Can Donald Trump fire Jay Powell – and what do his threats mean for investors?
Donald Trump has been vocal in his criticism of Jerome "Jay" Powell, chairman of the Federal Reserve. What do his threats to fire him mean for markets and investors?
By Katie Williams