Ocado 'never busier' talking to potential new tech partners - CEO

LONDON (Reuters) - Ocado Group, the British online supermarket and technology company, has "never been busier" in talking to potential new purchasers of its automated warehouse technology, its boss said on Thursday.

"We have never been busier in talking to (potential new) clients than we are now and we've never had more visitors to our sites than we have at the moment, so there's a hive of activity," CEO Tim Steiner told reporters after the group reported first-half results.

He said a partnership deal secured with Auchan Polska in March was "hugely significant" as historically Ocado had focused only on countries with GDP per capita over $25,000, whereas Poland's is about $17,000.

"No one's ever considered us as an automation solution provider for Eastern Europe, which then says 'what does that mean for South East Asia, what does that mean for South America,'" he said.

(Reporting by James Davey; Editing by Kate Holton)