Cincinnati grocery giant Kroger is partnering with a General Motors' subsidiary to enhance its online ordering experience.
This week, officials with BrightDrop, GM's Silicon Valley-based business focused on delivery and logistics, announced Kroger will be the first-ever customer for Trace Grocery, a temperature-controlled electric grocery cart.
Kroger (NYSE: KR) will launch the product this year after successfully piloting it at stores in Lexington and Versailles, Ky., according to a news release.
The announcement comes as the online grocery market is projected to hit $240 billion by 2025. For its part, Kroger has doubled down on efforts to capitalize on that growth, including by rapidly expanding its partnership with British online grocery delivery company Ocado.
Trace Grocery, the release states, streamlines the online ordering process since its temperature-controlled cart can be easily filled by employees before being stationed outdoors for customers to grab their items after scanning a verification code.
Kroger ranks as Greater Cincinnati's largest public company, with $137.9 billion in 2021 revenue, according to Business Courier research.
