Ocado 'Has Held Talks With Carrefour and Safeway'

Ocado has held preliminary talks with at least two overseas retailers over potential licensing deals, according to the Sunday Times newspaper.

Chief executive Tim Steiner told city analysts last week the delivery firm has 'held talks with various overseas retailers' but cautioned that it is currently focusing its efforts on launching its service with Morrisons by January, the newspaper said.

The report said the retailers are understood to include France's Carrefour and Safeway in the US.

It also said Steiner, who founded the business 13 years ago, is expected to benefit from a £20 windfall from an executive bonus set up before the 2010 stock market float. The plan allowed him to buy more than 10 million shares at £2 each.

Last week Ocado shares hit a record 435p before closing at 402.4p. Steiner, who also owns 5 per cent of the delivery firm worth £115 million, can cash in 7.5 million of the shares straight away and can exercise the rest in January.

The surge in the share price is in part due to revised perceptions of the firm following its talks with retailers other than its existing sole client Waitrose. In May it announced a partnership with Morrisons to launch a delivery service for the grocer by January.