Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

RILA LINK 2024

Kroger says new tech freshens food and sales

E-commerce grocery deliveries lead to higher retention rates and basket sizes, RILA speaker says

kroger IMG_6238.jpg

Many companies have launched efforts in 2024 to digitize their supply chains, but that process brings some extra challenges for food retailers, which must preserve a particularly high level of customer trust at every step of the journey for edible goods, according to executives from the national grocery store chain Kroger.

Speaking at the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) trade show in Dallas, Raul Bujalil, Kroger’s VP of supply chain, said the company’s mission is to make shopping affordable and seamless. That much sounds familiar, but the company adds another tagline, “leading with fresh and investing in digital.” 


The company’s customers demand both competitive prices and good quality, a combination that Kroger seeks to meet through efforts like an online shopping app that learns each user’s personal habits, providing them with electronic coupons and offering white-label store brands at a variety of price points, not just bargain-level deals, he said in a session called “Digitizing the supply chain: A journey toward unified commerce.”

Projects like that require a dedicated investment by the company—such as its 8451 data science and predictive analytics division—but they are already paying off, said Ben Hamilton, Kroger’s VP for e-commerce fulfillment. Kroger has increased its grocery delivery sales by almost 20% over last year, and has tracked increased retention rates and larger basket sizes for its online orders that are processed at regional fulfillment centers and delivered to buyers’ doorsteps, he said. Credit for that success is also due to Kroger’s work with business partners such as Ocado for its warehouse automation and Blue Yonder for its supply chain software, Hamilton said.

Their comments came as Kroger got news today that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission had sued to block its proposed $25 billion merger with Albertsons, alleging that the largest supermarket merger in U.S. history would lead to higher prices, store closures, and job losses. Kroger disputes those charges.




 

 

 

 

The Latest

More Stories

photos of forklifts in warehouses

2025 IFOY Awards nominees announced

Seventeen innovative products and solutions from eleven providers have reached the nomination round of the IFOY Award 2025, an international competition that brings together the best new material handling products for warehouses and distribution center operations.

The nominees this year come from six different countries and will compete head-to-head during a Test Camp that will be held March 26 and 27 in Dortmund, Germany. The Test Camp allows hands-on evaluation and testing of products based on engineering and operational design. In contrast to the usual display of products at a trade show, The Test Camp also allows end-users and visitors to the event the opportunity to experience these technologies hands-on as they would operate in a facility.

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

Happy interesting New Year

While Christmas is always my favorite time of the year, I have always been something of a Scrooge when it comes to celebrating the New Year. It is traditionally a time of reflection, where we take stock of our lives and make resolutions to do better. I’ve always felt that I really didn’t need a calendar to remind me to kick my bad habits in favor of healthier routines. If I was not already doing something that was good for me, then making promises I probably won’t keep after a few weeks is not really helpful.

But as we turn the calendar to 2025, there is a lot to consider this new year. The election is behind us, and it will be interesting to see how supply chains react to the new administration. We’ve been told to expect sharp increases in tariffs, like those the president-elect issued in his first term. Will these cause the desired shift away from goods made in China?

Keep ReadingShow less
a blurred image of a forklift in a warehouse

Lift Truck Roundtable: An inside look at a volatile market

Roundtable participants:

MARTIN BOYD, CMO, Big Joe Forklifts

Keep ReadingShow less
trends in robotics

IFR: five trends will drive robot growth through 2025

As the global market value of industrial robot installations passes its all-time high of $16.5 billion, five trends will continue to drive its growth through 2025, according to a forecast from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).

That is important because the increased use of robots has the potential to significantly reduce the impact of labor shortages in manufacturing, IFR said. That will happen when robots automate dirty, dull, dangerous or delicate tasks – such as visual quality inspection, hazardous painting, or heavy lifting—thus freeing up human workers to focus on more interesting and higher-value tasks.

Keep ReadingShow less
chart of cargo theft activity in 2024

Cargo theft activity set new highs in 2024

Cargo theft activity across the United States and Canada reached unprecedented levels in 2024, with 3,625 reported incidents representing a stark 27% increase from 2023, according to an annual analysis from CargoNet.

The estimated average value per theft also rose, reaching $202,364, up from $187,895 in 2023. And the increase was persistent, as each quarter of 2024 surpassed previous records set in 2023.

Keep ReadingShow less