Ocado plans to use Massachusetts-based 6RS' collaborative fulfilment solutions to grow into additional markets beyond its core expertise in the e-commerce grocery sector. "We are delighted to welcome new colleagues to the Ocado family. 6 River Systems brings exciting new IP and possibilities to the wider Ocado technology estate, as well as valuable commercial and R&D expertise in non-grocery retail segments," James Matthews, CEO of Ocado Technology, said in a release. Specifically, Ocado will gain the ability to enter new growth markets such as general merchandise retail, apparel, health and beauty, and third party logistics (3PL), according to an analysis of the deal by Ash Sharma, managing director at Interact Analysis. Those sectors are all looking for solutions to solve their problems with labor shortages, and 6RS' "person to goods" robots can meet that need by assisting human workers in picking items and cases in fulfillment centers, Sharma said.