Supermarket retailer Kroger Co. is getting in the autonomous vehicle space with a new partnership with Nuro for self-driving, last-mile grocery delivery.
The companies are working together to deliver the capabilities of a grocery store with the accessibility of delivery. In order to make a delivery, customers place same-day orders through Kroger’s ClickList ordering system and Nuro’s app, with the goods then being delivered by Nuro’s fleet of autonomous vehicles.
Kroger has 2,800 stores in 35 states and the move to this last-mile delivery option will expand the area of coverage by the supermarket. Nuro said this is the first application and deployment of the company’s hardware and software.
The pilot testing of the service is expected to begin this fall with the areas that will be involved in the test being announced at a later date.
Nuro said unmanned delivery will bring a new experience to grocery customers with new levels of convenience and value, while at the same time testing the company’s autonomous technology and being a first step toward its mission to accelerate the benefits of robotics.
