Kroger ramping up same-day delivery

The expansion will begin immediately and is to be completed by the end of October, the company says. A list of the markets in which the service will be offered is available here.

“Kroger customers in more communities throughout the country — starting today with Atlanta, Augusta [Ga.], Knoxville [Tenn.], Little Rock [Ark.], Memphis [and] Nashville [Tenn.], and other cities — can fill their online carts and have everyday essentials and fresh groceries delivered in as little as two hours,” the company announced. Kroger offers the service through Instacart, which provides delivery to some 300 retailers, among them Albertsons, Costco, CVS, Kroger, Loblaw, Publix and Sam’s Club.

"We are redefining the customer experience through Restock Kroger by rapidly accelerating our customer coverage area for seamless shopping, giving our shoppers the choice of stores, delivery, curbside pickup or ship to your door," said Matt Thompson, Kroger's digital vice president of ClickList, in a prepared statement. "We value our Instacart partnership, and the expansion is just one more way Kroger is offering millions of our customers across America the fresh food and groceries they want, when they want them."

This is the latest of several initiatives Kroger has announced in recent months, including high-tech inventory management, smartphone payment options for customers and delivery by autonomous vehicles.