Kroger and Drone Express Partner to Provide Grocery Delivery by Drone
The Kroger Co. and Drone Express, a division of TELEGRID Technologies, Inc., have announced a pilot to offer grocery delivery via autonomous drones, expanding the retailer's seamless ecosystem and providing customers with anything, anytime, anywhere.
$10 billionJody Kalmbach
How the Drone Grocery Delivery Pilot Works
The pilot will offer customers unparalleled flexibility as Drone Express technology allows package delivery to the location of a customer's smartphone not only to a street address, simply meaning a customer will be able to order delivery of picnic supplies to a park, sunscreen to the beach, or condiments to a backyard cookout, for instance.
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.
Beth FlippoDrone Express will commence test flights this week near the Kroger Marketplace in Centerville, Ohio (1095 South Main Street). 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.
CentervilleEthan Grob
"Kroger and Drone Express made a great choice in piloting this program in Centerville – a community with a robust business network focused on progress and stability near the birthplace of aviation," said Centerville Mayor Brooks Compton. "Families here have the power to transform grocery delivery around the nation and the globe. We look forward to placing our first order."
Source: Press Release
