Kroger upgrades pickup service at Ottawa, Ill., store

Kroger has spent $1.9 million to rehab a store in Ottawa, Ill., according to a story on WCMY News.

The store, located at 2701 N. Columbus St., now features a Kroger Pickup service to better accommodate online shoppers, the company said. Kroger unveiled the online pickup service in May.

“The remodeling provides enhancements across the store, and with Kroger Pickup, we offer even more convenience to our customers here in Ottawa,” Colleen Juergensen, president of Kroger’s Central Division, said in the story. 

Kroger is preparing to defend itself in a series of legal challenges to its proposed $24.6 billion acquisition of Albertsons and has said it will invest $500 million to lower grocery prices and $1.3 billion to upgrade the Albertsons locations it aims to purchase. 

“Employees will benefit from Kroger's commitment to invest $1 billion to raise wages and comprehensive benefits, further building on our $2.4 billion in incremental investments since 2018,” Kroger Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen said in late June. 

Meanwhile, Kroger has been working to beef up its online order infrastructure through a new investment in U.K.-based online grocer and tech company Ocado Group. 

On July 23, Kroger announced that it has invested in more of Ocado’s robotic warehouse technology to fulfill online orders more efficiently. 

Related:Kroger, Albertsons $24.6B merger temporarily blocked by Colorado judge

Kroger said in March that its online business grew 12% to $12 billion in 2023.