Kroger customers may soon be able to get their groceries delivered by drone, as the grocery retailer partners with TELEGRID Technologies' Drone Express for a drone delivery pilot. The program allows customers to receive grocery deliveries wherever their smart phone location dictates, beyond just an address but as specific to the exact location of the device. Kroger exemplifies a person visiting a park and ordering picnic supplies to the direct spot. Test flights start this week in Centerville, Ohio for the Kroger Marketplace in that location, piloted by Drone Express.
Per Kroger:
- Kroger is designing bundled product offerings ideal for meeting customer needs within the current weight limits for drone delivery, which is about five pounds. As an illustration, Kroger will offer a baby care bundle with wipes and formula, a child wellness bundle with over-the-counter medications and fluids, and a S'mores bundle with graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate. Using Kroger.com/DroneDelivery, customers can place orders and have eligible orders delivered within as little as 15 minutes.
- The flights will be managed by licensed Drone Express pilots from an on-site trailer with additional off-site monitoring. Customer deliveries are scheduled to begin later this spring, and a second pilot is scheduled to launch this summer at a Ralphs store in California.
"Kroger's new drone delivery pilot is part of the evolution of our rapidly growing and innovative e-commerce business – which includes pickup, delivery, and ship and reached more than $10 billion in sales in 2020," said Kroger's Jody Kalmbach, group vice president of product experience. "The pilot reinforces the importance of flexibility and immediacy to customers, powered by modern, cost-effective, and efficient last-mile solutions. We're excited to test drone delivery and gain insights that will inform expansion plans as well as future customer solutions."
