Ocado and AEON Go Live With Second Japan CFC in Hachioji, Tokyo

Ocado Group and AEON have launched their second customer fulfilment centre in Japan, a four-storey site in Hachioji City, Tokyo, that uses Ocado's Auto-Freezer system. Retail Technology Innovation Hub reported that the facility processes frozen orders 2.7 times faster than AEON's first CFC in Chiba and increases freezer inventory capacity by 150% while reducing the required storage footprint by 50%.

Inside the Hachioji Auto-Freezer Site

AEON executives unveiled the facility at a ceremony at the site. The CFC adds capacity for the growth of AEON's Green Beans online grocery delivery brand across the Tokyo region and is intended to drive logistical efficiency and shorter delivery distances across its network. Hachioji is the second Ocado CFC to use the Auto-Freezer system, following the recent launch of Lotte's CFC in Busan, South Korea.

The Auto-Freezer uses a specialised version of Ocado's fulfilment bot and will reduce the time staff spend in freezer conditions to below 5% of their working hours. The site has a gross floor area of approximately 40,000 m² and is equipped with a full suite of Ocado's Re:Imagined technologies, including On-Grid Robotic Pick. A Pickup service lets customers collect orders directly from the site in as little as three hours.

Ocado Group and AEON's partnership began in 2019 with a deal to develop the online operations of the AEON NEXT grocery business using the Ocado Smart Platform. AEON NEXT revealed Green Beans in April 2023, ahead of its first CFC opening, and opened the first OSP CFC in Chiba in July 2023, serving customers in the Greater Tokyo Area and the wider Kanto region.

Nick de la Vega, Chief Revenue Officer at Ocado Group, said: "We are pleased to build on our successful partnership with AEON with the opening of our second CFC in Japan."

Ocado's Wider Platform Rollout

According to akta.pro company records, Ocado Group and Asda agreed a partnership in May 2026 under which Ocado will provide its Smart Platform technology to power Asda's online grocery operations across the UK, with rollout across approximately 1,100 stores and dark stores scheduled to go live in early 2027. The same records show Auchan Polska opened its first automated CFC in Poland in partnership with Ocado Group in February 2026.

Earlier Ocado Group Moves

Ocado is selling a half-acre AutoStore robotic picking grid ahead of its Erith distribution centre closure in spring 2027, Thegrocer reported in September 2026. The system, installed in 2017, includes nearly 100 robots and can be reconfigured for buyers. In October 2026, EIN Presswire reported that Ocado shares had surged nearly 90% since mid-July, driven by a shift to smaller automation systems for supermarkets, with revenue up only 1% to £684m.

What Comes Next for the Partnership

Ocado's Asda rollout is scheduled to go live in early 2027, and the Erith distribution centre closure is set for spring 2027.