Kroger Doubles Down on Food Delivery
The next time a consumer wants to order hot food delivery by clicking on an app, Kroger wants consumers to think of it first instead of Uber Eats or DoorDash.
That's why the Cincinnati-based grocery chain is launching a partnership with a food delivery service provider to enable it to deliver fresh meals on demand without fees.
Kroger Delivery Kitchen Powered by ClusterTruck will be launching initially in Carmel, Ind. – where Kroger and ClusterTruck are jointly opening a fourth kitchen – as well as Indianapolis and Columbus, Ohio. Additionally, King Soopers Delivery Kitchen Powered by ClusterTruck will serve customers in Denver.
"The way our customers order and receive meals is evolving, and ClusterTruck's innovative culinary and digital design is cracking the code for the future of profitable meal delivery," said Yael Cosset, Kroger's CIO. "Kroger is leveraging ClusterTruck's advanced technology to ensure our customers don't have to sacrifice quality and value for convenience when it comes to meal delivery. Kroger Delivery Kitchen Powered by ClusterTruck will allow our customers to access restaurant-quality fresh and delicious meals like never before and without having to pay excessive service or delivery fees."
Customers in Carmel, Indianapolis and Columbus delivery zones can go to KrogerDeliveryKitchen.com to place their orders online or download the ClusterTruck app. Customers in Denver can visit KingSoopersDeliveryKitchen.com.
ClusterTruck was co-founded in 2015 and launched its first kitchen in 2016. The Indianapolis-based company owns and operates vertically integrated delivery-only kitchens. ClusterTruck's dark kitchens are powered by a proprietary software system that uses custom algorithms to optimize kitchen and delivery operations. This systematic approach to meal delivery ensures that nearly every order is in the hands of the customer within seven minutes of the meal's preparation. The average time between placing an order and a customer receiving their food is less than 30 minutes.
"ClusterTruck's ultra-fresh and quick made-from-scratch meals set them apart in the food delivery landscape," said Suzy Monford, Kroger's group VP of fresh. "Kroger Delivery Kitchen customers can order pizza or pad Thai on the same order and get it delivered hot and fresh, within minutes of the meals being prepared. We are excited to work together to bring this partnership to life to provide our customers with real food delivered to their doorstep!"
Employing nearly half a million associates who serve more than 11 million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and 2,761 retail food stores under a variety of banners, Cincinnati-based Kroger is No. 2 on Progressive Grocer’s 2019 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.
