Kroger announced Tuesday it has launched a 'virtual convenience store" to provide speedy home delivery of food and other staples in as little as 30 minutes.
Called "Kroger Delivery Now," the Cincinnati-based supermarket giant is offering online customers their choice among 25,000 items from missing ingredients for a family meal, diapers to over-the-counter medication from 6 a.m. to 12 midnight.
Kroger shoppers will pay a 15% service fee and a $2.99 delivery fee.
The new service is in partnership with San Francisco-based Instacart, which is offering its own version of the service for its Instacart Express shoppers, called "Convenience Hub," offering Kroger-supplied items.
Kroger officials said the new service is part of the company's drive to double its e-commerce business by the end of 2023. Last year, Kroger's online sales hit $10 billion.
The company is also ramping up its home delivery service using its own network of robotic warehouses that fulfill online orders. That effort is through another alliance with United Kingdom's Ocado online grocery provider.
Besides Kroger stores, the grocer operates several regional supermarket chains in 35 states, including Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, Ralphs, Mariano's, Fry's, Smith's, King Soopers, QFC and others. The company employs 465,000 workers.
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