Kroger taps DoorDash for sushi, floral delivery

The Kroger Co. plans to roll out on-demand delivery of sushi and floral online orders placed through DoorDash.

Cincinnati-based Kroger said this week that the new DoorDash service, offering delivery in as soon as an hour or less, will become available at more than 900 stores serving fresh-made sushi and over 1,600 stores with floral departments. The launch follows a pilot of DoorDash sushi and floral delivery in selected markets earlier this fall.

Kroger customers place their sushi and floral/gift orders via DoorDash’s marketplace app or website. The grocer’s sushi and floral selection will be available on DashPass, DoorDash’s membership program that offers members unlimited free delivery (i.e. no fees) and reduced service fees on eligible orders over the minimum subtotal.

“By offering customer-favorite sushi options and premium floral bouquets through third-party marketplaces, we are continuing to evolve and meet customers where and how they are shopping,” Stuart Aitken, senior vice president and chief merchant and marketing officer at Kroger, said in a statement. “Whether you are craving fresh, affordable sushi for lunch or want to surprise someone special with a gorgeous fresh floral bouquet, you can now have the items delivered in under an hour. Providing fresh, affordable products to customers using familiar channels is another step in our commitment to provide anything, anytime, anywhere for every customer, every time.”

Via the DoorDash service, Kroger customers can buy custom-wrapped Bloom Haus by Kroger floral bouquets and freshly prepared sushi, including rolls and combos, dumplings, poke bowls, bottled sauces and more. Orders placed on DoorDash are prepared and packed by Kroger in-store sushi chefs and floral associates, with DoorDash Dashers delivering the items directly to customers’ doorsteps, Kroger said. Using the DoorDash gifting feature, customers also can have flowers or sushi delivered to a friend or loved one as a gift.

Sushi and floral ordering and delivery through DoorDash is available now at selected Kroger locations, and in support of the new service, special promotions are being offered to eligible shoppers through Dec. 24. The latter includes 30% off the next four orders of sushi of $15 or more (up to $30 off).

“We’re excited to collaborate with Kroger to offer a broad selection of their customer favorites on-demand,” commented Shanna Prevé, vice president of strategic partnerships and business development for San Francisco-based DoorDash. “The trend towards convenience only goes in one direction as customers’ expectations rise, and we’re thrilled to continue to expand into the prepared foods and floral categories with Kroger to satiate a lunch craving or delight someone’s day.”

For Kroger, the new sushi and floral delivery partnership aligns with two key strategic objectives: bolster its fresh offerings and expand its online services.

For its recently completed third quarter, Kroger reported e-commerce sales growth 10% year over year, with 34% growth in delivery sales. The latter includes Kroger Delivery service from stores and Ocado-powered fulfillment facilities and from the Kroger Delivery Now convenience service with Instacart.

“We’re investing in digital growth initiatives, including expanding our Kroger Delivery network in new and existing geographies,” Kroger Chairman and CEO Rodney McMullen told analysts in a conference call on Q3 results.

McMullen has often described Kroger as the nation’s largest florist, and in the call he said Kroger also is “the largest sushi restaurant in the United States” in noting the retailer’s focus as a meal provider.

“We see foodservice as an important component of our growth,” he said. “Not so much relative to 2023, but as you start looking out at, say, 2025 and beyond, having an amazing-quality meal that's easy and leveraging our delivery network or pickup network is an important part of growth.”