CINCINNATI – The Kroger Company and Ocado, a company that specializes in technology for grocery ecommerce, announced an expansion of their partnership, with plans to construct three new customer fulfillment centers (CFC) located in the Great Lakes, Pacific Northwest and West regions. 

"Kroger is incredibly excited to construct three additional industry-leading customer fulfillment centers across the country in relationship with Ocado to bring fresh food to our customers more conveniently than ever before," said Robert Clark, senior vice president of supply chain, manufacturing and sourcing for Kroger. "Through our strategic partnership, we are engineering a model for these regions, leveraging advanced robotics technology and creative solutions to redefine the customer experience." 

The new fulfillment centers incorporate automation and artificial intelligence (AI) that will help Kroger provide customers with anything, anytime, anywhere. The new facilities range from 150,000 to 300,000 square feet and will collectively create over 1,000 new jobs. 

The three centers add to the list of Kroger’s already anticipated CFC sites in Ohio, Florida, Maryland, Texas and Wisconsin. The first site is set to open in Monroe, Ohio, in early 2021. 

"Kroger and Ocado are building an ecommerce ecosystem across the US that will deliver unrivalled online experiences to more customers, in more ways and in more markets," said Luke Jensen, chief executive officer of Ocado Solutions. "Spanning a range of automated CFC sizes, these three new sites will be key parts of this growing and flexible fulfillment network. Alongside the scale and wider benefits of larger CFCs, smaller format and mini CFCs will allow Kroger to reach more geographies with Ocado's automation, while also catering to a wide range of options for delivery."