Another Kroger Customer Fulfillment Center Opens
The Kroger Co. has officially opened a 336,840-square-foot customer fulfillment center in Pleasant Prairie, Wis., a city centrally located between Milwaukee and Chicago. The facility is powered by the Ocado Group, leveraging advanced robotics technology and creative solutions to redefine the customer experience for customers in Wisconsin, northern Illinois and northwest Indiana.
"We are thrilled to launch Kroger Delivery in Pleasant Prairie, continuing our long-standing engagement in the state of Wisconsin. Our tradition of fresh is all about our customers, and this true milestone moment incorporates end-to-end cold solutions, including customized refrigerated vans, providing Kenosha County residents with everything fresh, every time," said Gabriel Arreaga, Kroger's SVP and chief supply chain officer.
Kroger was able to expand its delivery services to new areas in the region, thanks to its relationships with several local departments, including the Village of Pleasant Prairie, the Kenosha Area Business Alliance and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
Additionally, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. is supporting the project with up to $1.5 million in state tax credits to the Kroger Fulfillment Network and up to $500,000 in tax credits to Ocado Solutions. Kroger's high-tech fulfillment center will bring nearly 250 jobs to the region.
"Kroger is a welcomed community partner, and we look forward to seeing their investment in our community succeed,” said Pleasant Prairie Village President John Steinbrink Sr. “Our residents will be excited to know a facility in Pleasant Prairie can deliver fresh groceries right to the doorstep of our neighborhoods. In addition, the village staff would like to thank Kroger and Kenosha County for working with the village on the Transportation Economic Assistance Grant that widened Highway H. The road improvements will ensure traffic surrounding the new Kroger facility continues to flow smoothly."
"Through our growing partnership, we are helping Kroger Delivery to introduce a world-leading online grocery proposition to their customers across the U.S.A.," added Luke Jensen, CEO of U.K.-based Ocado Solutions. "Enabled by Ocado Group's unique, cutting-edge technology, this fulfillment center will introduce a step change in the kind of service and efficiency that shoppers across Wisconsin, northern Illinois and northwest Indiana can expect from grocery e-commerce."
Kroger currently operates customer fulfillment centers in Monroe, Ohio; Groveland, Fla.; Forest Park, Ga.; and Dallas. The company also recently revealed plans for new customer fulfillment center in the Denver metro area.
Meanwhile, same-store sales without fuel increased 4.1% during Kroger's first quarter, as fresh department comps increased 5.2%, Our Brands comps increased 6.3%, digitally engaged households grew by more than half a million, and digital coupon downloads increased 11%.
Kroger’s nearly half a million associates serve more than 11 million customers daily through a seamless shopping experience under a variety of banner names. The Cincinnati-based company is No. 4 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2022 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.
