Kroger Launches 2-Tier Membership for Customers
The Kroger Co. has launched Boost by Kroger Plus, an annual multilevel membership, for customers looking for more convenient ways to feed their families and shop for groceries while consolidating trips and saving money. As part of the loyalty program in Kroger's Cincinnati/Dayton, Columbus, Central (Indianapolis) and Atlanta divisions, Boost provides customers access to free delivery and additional benefits for either $59 or $99 per year to better meet family needs or monthly budgets.
All members receive twice the fuel points for every dollar spent on groceries and general merchandise, and free delivery on orders $35 or more. The $59-per-year membership enables delivery within 24 hours, and the $99-per-year membership will allow customers to receive their fresh grocery delivery in as little as two hours. New members to either membership tier receive a one-time welcome kit worth more than $100 and featuring offers from Home Chef, Murray’s Cheese, Vitacost and Our Brands, offsetting the first-year cost of membership.
According to Kroger, additional regions for Boost membership will follow in 2022.
“Kroger Boost is an accelerant to the Kroger Family of Companies’ rapidly expanding seamless ecosystem, which includes our new Kroger Delivery fulfillment centers,” said Bill Bennett, Kroger’s VP and head of e-commerce. “Through Boost, Kroger remains uniquely positioned to be Fresh for Everyone, making grocery delivery accessible to every customer through the industry’s most affordable free-delivery membership. Combine this with a 2X multiplier on our industry-leading fuel points program, and we’re confident we’ve built a truly differentiated membership program that our customers will love.”
"The Kroger Boost program pilot has great timing, especially as gas prices continue to soar to high levels,” noted Tom Caporaso, CEO of loyalty provider Clarus Commerce, which is based in Rocky Hill, Conn. “According to Clarus research, 41% of consumers said that they would be willing to pay for a premium loyalty program that provided gas perks, and Kroger’s extra points can help reduce some of those growing gas bills. Not to mention, droves of shoppers have already turned to e-commerce programs like Walmart+ to get their groceries delivered, so Kroger’s new program will help the brand stay on par with competing options.
Kroger recently ranked third in Bond Brand Loyalty’s recent report, "Best U.S. Grocery Retail Programs of 2021," which is recognized as the industry’s longest-standing and largest global study on customer engagement, loyalty attitudes, behaviors, drivers and distribution. Bond’s annual report surveyed more than 25,000 North American consumers and examined 450-plus loyalty programs on more than 85 attributes.
Serving 60 million households annually nationwide through a digital shopping experience, and almost 2,800 retail food stores under a variety of banner names, Cincinnati-based Kroger is No. 3 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
