Kroger to Pilot Autonomous Delivery

The Kroger Co. has entered a new partnership with Nuro to pilot an on-road, fully autonomous delivery experience.

Kroger and Nuro, maker of a fully unmanned road vehicle, are working towards the goal of making grocery delivery accessible and affordable for customers everywhere. Through this partnership, customers can place same-day delivery orders through Kroger's ClickList ordering system and Nuro's app. During the test, orders will be delivered by Nuro's fleet of autonomous vehicles.

"We are incredibly excited about the potential of our innovative partnership with Nuro to bring the future of grocery delivery to customers today," says Yael Cosset, Kroger's chief digital officer. "As part of Restock Kroger, we have already started to redefine the grocery customer experience and expand the coverage area for our anything, anytime and anywhere offering. Partnering with Nuro, a leading technology company, will create customer value by providing Americans access to fast and convenient delivery at a fair price."

This is the first application and deployment of Nuro's hardware and software. The pilot market will be announced soon and is expected to begin this fall.

"Unmanned delivery will be a game-changer for local commerce, and together with Kroger, we're thrilled to test this new delivery experience to bring grocery customers new levels of convenience and value," said Dave Ferguson, co-founder, Nuro. "Our safe, reliable, and affordable service, combined with Kroger's ubiquitous brand, is a powerful first step in our mission to accelerate the benefits of robotics for everyday life."