Marks & Spencer and rival Waitrose have both launched marketing initiatives to draw customers as their relationship with Ocado changes.

Ahead of the formal launch of its partnership with Ocado at the start of September, Marks & Spencer has highlighted the price and credentials of its ‘Remarksable’ value range.

Meanwhile, Waitrose has unveiled a campaign to convert Ocado customers to its own online store, as its links to the etailer are cut.

The Remarksable initiative is designed “to show customers that great-quality M&S Food is cheaper than they may think and families can confidently shop for bigger baskets”.

M&S Food managing director Stuart Machin said: “We have spent the past 18 months continuously upgrading our quality and at the same time investing in price, and now customers can see the result as 240 key staple items are the most competitively priced in recent history.

“We will never compromise on our quality, but our strategy is to maintain our high sourcing standards while providing truly better value for customers, and our early work is already starting to resonate.”

Waitrose has revealed a campaign with marketing agencies Adam&EveDDB and Manning Gottlieb OMD to “bring home Ocado shoppers to Waitrose.com”.

Waitrose said its online operation is “on track to treble its size to become a £1bn business in its own right by the end of the year”.

Waitrose customer director Martin George said: “Waitrose own-label products have historically made up a quarter of Ocado’s grocery sales, so we know a lot of people who use the service love our products, are loyal to our brand and are keen to avoid any disruption.

“With that in mind, we have focused on retaining and reformulating our customers’ favourite products, as well as developing thousands of new ones – all of which are sure to entice them to Waitrose.com.”

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