Kroger delivery widens to include Birmingham, Alabama

Kroger on Friday opened a new spoke facility in Birmingham, Alabama, that will serve as a last-mile, cross-dock location for the grocer’s regional fulfillment center in Atlanta.

"Kroger delivery starts by bringing the shopping experience to wherever our customers are, whether they are using the Kroger app or browsing our weekly ad at Kroger.com. Here, customers can access our seamless experience that promises an extensive assortment, thousands of digital coupons and an entirely personalized shopping trip," said Bill Bennett, Kroger VP and head of e-commerce, in a statement. "Through this zero-compromise service, customers can get fresh, affordable groceries brought to their door through a best-in-class white glove delivery experience, enabled by our refrigerated trucks and amazing trained drivers. This cutting-edge technology sets a new unmatched standard for grocery delivery."  

The approximately 50,000-square-foot facility is located on West Oxmoor Drive in Birmingham's Jefferson County and will employ more than 160 associates, Kroger said.

"For people who live in food deserts, getting groceries can be a real challenge. Eliminating the distance to the grocery store from the doorstep can positively impact our citizens who are most in need of healthy food options. As a community we are excited about Kroger choosing Birmingham for this expansion and are eager to partner with them in exploring more ways to solve for food deserts," said Cornell Wesley, director of the Department of Innovation and Economic Opportunity for the city of Birmingham.

Local shoppers in this area will also have access to Kroger's loyalty membership program Boost, which launched nationwide last month. The tiered program gives customers the choice of two annual membership levels at $59 or $99 and provides customers unlimited free grocery delivery on orders of $35 or more, the grocer said. 

Kroger, which is investing heavily in its delivery platform, powered by the Ocado Group, in August opened  two new spoke facilities in the greater Nashville area and in the Chicago metro area, making Kroger delivery available to more customers in Tennessee and Illinois.