Kroger will now deliver floral, sushi via DoorDash

Kroger is enhancing its online delivery options by launching on-demand floral and sushi delivery from banner stores throughout the U.S.
 
The Cincinnati-based supermarket giant will lean on food delivery platform provider DoorDash to facilitate the delivery, which offers selections from over 900 sushi and 1,600 floral locations.

Kroger piloted the program last fall in select geographies.

“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, Kroger senior vice president and chief merchant & marketing officer, said in a statement.

Via the DoorDash marketplace app or website, shoppers can purchase custom-wrapped Bloom Haus-branded floral bouquets and freshly prepared sushi, including rolls and combos, dumplings, poke bowls and bottled sauces. In-store sushi chefs and floral associates pack the orders.

“As we accelerate our mission to help consumers access all the best of their neighborhood with convenience and ease, we’re excited to collaborate with Kroger to offer a broad selection of their customer favorites on-demand,” Shanna Prevé, DoorDash vice president, strategic partnerships, and business development, said in a statement.

The floral and sushi initiative is just Kroger’s latest move to expand its delivery services. Last August, Kroger announced the opening of two new spoke facilities in Greater Nashville and the Chicago metropolitan area that will enable more customers to participate in its Kroger Delivery program.

The approximately 40,000-square-foot Nashville facility will work in conjunction with Kroger’s Atlanta fulfillment center and increase the network’s reach to customers up to 200 miles from the hub. The 80,000-square-foot Chicago-area facility in Maywood, Ill., will work concurrently with Kroger’s existing Pleasant Prairie, Wis. fulfillment center.

In addition, in September Kroger announced the opening of a new spoke in Birmingham, Ala., that will operate as a seamless extension of the regional Atlanta fulfillment center and make Kroger Delivery available to more customers in the Greater Birmingham area. The approximately 50,000-square-foot facility will increase the network’s reach to customers up to 90 minutes from the hub.

In October, Kroger also said it was bringing Kroger Delivery to Greater Detroit by opening a customer fulfillment center in Romulus, Mich. Products from the 135,000-square-foot facility will reach customers up to 90 minutes from the site.

In addition to DoorDash, Kroger partners with other third-party delivery services, including San Francisco-based Instacart and Birmingham, Ala.-based Shipt Inc.