Kroger is set to begin testing autonomous drone deliveries within Greater Cincinnati, the grocery giant announced Monday.
According to a news release, Kroger is partnering with Drone Express, a division of New Jersey-based Telegrid Technologies, to offer grocery delivery via autonomous drones. Customer deliveries are scheduled to begin later this spring, though test flights will begin this week near the Kroger Marketplace in Centerville. A second pilot will launch this summer at a Ralphs store in California.
"The launch of the pilot in Centerville is the culmination of months of meticulous research and development by Kroger and Drone Express to better serve and meet the needs of our customers," Ethan Grob, Kroger’s director of last mile strategy and product, said in a statement. "We look forward to progressing from test flights to customer deliveries this spring, introducing one more way for our customers to experience Kroger."
Once operational, the partnership will allow Kroger customers to have products delivered to them wherever they are, thanks to their smartphones. That means deliveries won't be limited simply to customers' households.
Deliveries will have a roughly five pound weight limit. Kroger is in the process of creating speciality bundle packages, such as a S'mores bundle.
Orders can be placed online at Kroger.com/DroneDelivery, and can be available within 15 minutes.
Kroger has invested billions in improving its capabilities to serve customers ordering groceries digitally. Most recently, it opened its enormous $55 million Ocado automated customer fulfillment center in Monroe to select digital orders for customers faster and more efficiently than in the past. Kroger plans to open 11 such facilities by the middle of 2023.
Digital grocery orders soared during the pandemic. Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen told the Business Courier the pandemic “accelerated five years’ worth of transition (to digital orders) in five weeks in terms of engaging with us in multiple channels.”
Kroger’s digital sales through its pickup, delivery and shipping services more than doubled last year, topping $10 billion. Kroger expects its digital sales to double again by 2023.
