Kroger Marketplace, Frayt Team on Same-Day Delivery of Home Furnishings

Twenty-one Kroger Marketplace stores in the greater Cincinnati, northern Kentucky and Dayton, Ohio, areas have teamed up with tech company Frayt to offer same-day delivery of large outdoor items such as patio dining sets, grills and mulch.

Frayt’s fleet of networked cargo vans, which it describes as the largest in North America, provides same-day delivery, often within an hour of a request. Customers can request Frayt delivery by visiting frayt.app or downloading the Frayt app and enrolling, in a process similar to an on-demand Uber or DoorDash delivery service.

“We created Frayt to make professional, on-demand shipping and delivery simple for businesses and cost-effective for customers,” noted Lawrence McCord, CEO and co-founder of Cincinnati-based Frayt, which has pivoted from its typical business-to-business service model to help connect retailers and consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Even with the surge in demand, our network of 3,000 professional drivers enables us to provide quick and safe delivery.” 

If the partnership is successful, Frayt could expand to Kroger Marketplace stores in other markets. The company offers contactless delivery for customers by employees wearing gloves and masks.

“Frayt is the right partnership to help connect our customers with the items they need,” said Erin Rolfes, corporate affairs manager at Kroger’s Cincinnati-Dayton division. “Their innovative response to large-item delivery is a great way for our customers to rethink their outdoor space while we’re all spending more time in our homes.”

Delivery via Frayt is available for Kroger Marketplace customers in Newport, Florence, Hebron, Walton, Independence and Union, Ky., and Oakley, Troy, Kettering, Englewood, Centerville, Fairborn, Beavercreek, Middletown, Harrison, Green Township, Colerain, West Chester, Lebanon, Amelia and Mt. Orab, Ohio. 

Also based in Cincinnati, Kroger employs nearly half a million associates who serve 9 million-plus customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and 2,769 retail food stores under a variety of banner names. The company is No. 2 on Progressive Grocer’s 2019 Super 50 list of the top grocers in the United States.