COVID-19 has accelerated e-commerce, and some retailers have seen sales skyrocket especially for groceries, meal delivery, streaming services, and website marketplace merchandise. Now Kroger is stepping up its already established online game by partnering with marketplace platform Mirakl to offer customers more than simply grocery aisle food and beverage items. Expect to see more of these arrangements as order and pay platforms have greatly improved and delivery fulfillment networks are now faster, with practically complete geographic coverage.
The following excerpt from a Progressive Grocer article reports more on the topic:
Kroger is doubling down on its offerings to compete in the online marketplace this fall. The grocer is extending its Kroger Ship program to offer an extended ship-to-home assortment through a marketplace of third-party sellers powered by Mirakl.
Kroger Ship originally launched in August 2018, but with its marketplace expansion will initially feature more than 50,000 additional items across multiple categories, including natural and organic, international food, specialty items, housewares and toys. All these products are through Kroger’s third-party partners.
“Our customers are increasingly turning to our e-commerce solutions provided at Kroger.com for their grocery and household essential needs. To better serve our customers, we’re continuing to invest in technology that enables us to expand our digital services to deliver anything, anytime, anywhere,” said Jody Kalmbach, Kroger’s group vice president of product experience. “Leveraging Mirakl’s best-in-class marketplace solution, we are broadening Kroger’s ship-to-home capabilities by offering more relevant products for our customers through exciting new partnerships with reputable third-party sellers.”
Overview by Raymond Pucci, Director, Merchant Services at Mercator Advisory Group
