First Look: Inside Kroger Delivery’s First Customer Fulfillment Center
The Kroger Co. has officially launched America’s first Customer Fulfillment Center (CFC) in Monroe, OH, combining vertical integration, machine learning, and robotics with its Kroger Delivery service. The CFC, powered by Ocado Group, is the first to open of many, poised to transform and support the grocer’s digital business.
“2020 was a pivotal year for grocery e-commerce, with Kroger’s digital business scaling to over $10 billion—and achieving a record digital sales increase of 116%,” said Rodney McMullen, Kroger’s chairman and CEO. “We’re incredibly proud to achieve this milestone that advances our position as one of America’s leading e-commerce companies. The momentum we’re experiencing is well-timed with the evolution of Kroger Delivery, underpinning the permanent shift in grocery consumer behavior and need for enterprising and modern e-commerce and last-mile solutions—today’s true competitive horsepower.
“It’s truly uplifting to reach this moment in Kroger’s history – better yet grocery industry history – with our partners at Ocado. We’re appreciative of Tim Steiner and Luke Jensen’s collaboration to accomplish the next step in the expansion of our seamless ecosystem.”
Kroger Delivery Careers
At every CFC, on-site associates will support delivery operations and help process, package, and load orders. The Monroe CFC will employ nearly 400 associates, with roles focusing on customer service and engagement, engineering, operations, inventory and quality management, and transportation.
“Kroger Delivery brings together the expertise of our team and the efficiency of technology to create an in-stock, fresh and friendly experience for every customer, every time,” continued McMullen.
To view available careers, visit Jobs.Kroger.com.
Kroger Delivery Customer Experience
“We more than doubled our e-commerce business last year and through our industry-leading seamless ecosystem, we continue to provide fresh food to our customers in a way that fits the structure of their day—whether it’s coming to our stores, picking it up, delivering to a convenient location, or directly shipping products to their homes,” said Yael Cosset, Kroger’s senior vice president and chief technology and digital officer. “The Kroger Delivery network leverages our proprietary set of assets and enables us to increase customer reach, concentrating on availability, proximity and convenience for communities in both existing and new geographies like Florida.”
Starting this spring, the Monroe and Groveland CFCs will begin fulfilling orders for customers. After placing an order via Kroger.com or the Kroger app, customers in markets where there is a CFC will have their groceries delivered by a Kroger Delivery associate in a temperature-controlled van. The Kroger Delivery associate will deliver customer service, including ensuring order freshness and satisfaction, managing order changes, and informing customers of their loyalty membership benefits like earned fuel points and digital coupon savings. The Kroger Delivery network will also continue to leverage stores and third-party partners to deliver certain orders.