Kroger, the grocery retailer, announced that it is partnering with tech company Nuro for the pilot of an on-road, fully autonomous delivery service for customers.
Through the partnership between America’s largest supermarket retailer and the maker of the world’s first fully unmanned road vehicle, 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.
Yael Cosset, Kroger’s chief digital officer, said, “We are incredibly excited about the potential of our innovative partnership with Nuro to bring the future of grocery delivery to customers today. 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 launch in the 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 of 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.”
Earlier this month, it was reported that Kroger beat earnings estimates for the first quarter of 2018. Kroger reported earnings per share of $0.73 and revenues of $37.5 billion, compared to analysts’ estimates of $0.63 and $37.3 billion.
The retailer is also making further inroads with delivery: Ocado, the U.K. online supermarket operator, has inked a deal with Kroger in which it will be its exclusive partner in the U.S., giving the European retailer an entry into the U.S. market.