Sir: While shareholders have been having a tough time with Ocado, its customers aren’t (‘City news’, 24 November). In fact, they rate it so highly that it topped the grocery sector finishing sixth in our recent customer experience survey of the top 100 brands in the UK.

This will come as good news to Ocado after a quarter of its shares fell victim to short sellers. But it’s interesting to note that, Ocado’s customer experience has not suffered at all. On the contrary: it has improved.

Online grocery is a tricky business, but has a simple objective at heart. Shoppers want you to send them what they order, when they order it. Easier said than done Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury’s still pick many of their orders in ‘live’ stores where customers get in the way and availability can be a problem. For Ocado, because their orders are picked in a warehouse where orders from suppliers can be placed to meet scheduled demand, the problem virtually disappears. Add to this a reputation for on-time delivery and it’s easy to see why Ocado did so well in our study.

Beyond this, Ocado’s curated range means that navigation and general experience begins to deliver the dotcom holy grail - inspiration. For me, Ocado does the best job of the UK’s online players in delivering simplicity and providing the menu ideas and solutions that help shoppers make a satisfying choice. Its investment in innovation has led it to define convenience and this, coupled with customer experience, is keeping it ahead of its rivals.

Craig Ryder, consulting director, Nunwood

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