Delivery service from Kroger is coming to Metro Detroit.
The approximately 135,000-square-foot facility, situated on Wahrman Road in Romulus, will reach customers up to 90 minutes from the site.
The company said it will use cutting-edge technology to shop and transport groceries.
From temperature-controlled vans and machine learning algorithms that optimize delivery routes, orders are delivered to customers’ doorsteps by trained Kroger associates.
Local shoppers also have access to the newly launched Boost by Kroger annual membership program.
For either $59 or $99 per year, Boost provides customers with benefits like unlimited free delivery on orders of $35 or more and two Fuel points for every $1 spent on groceries and general merchandise purchases through delivery, pickup and in-stores.
Kroger estimates the membership can save customers more than $1,000 per year on fuel and grocery delivery.
“Wayne County is proud to be a leader in defining the future of grocery shopping,” said Warren C. Evans, Wayne County Executive. “The Kroger Fulfillment Center, the first in Michigan, will be a tremendous service for our residents to help them manage their busy lives.”
The new customer fulfillment center will employ more than 700 associates as Kroger Delivery continues to expand its services throughout southeast Michigan.
The expansion to Romulus represents an extension of a partnership between Kroger and Ocado Group, a world leader in technology for grocery e-commerce.
In 2018, the companies announced a collaboration to establish a delivery network that combines artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, and automation.
The delivery network relies on highly automated fulfillment centers. At the hub sites, more than 1,000 bots move around giant 3D grids, orchestrated by proprietary control systems.
The grid, known as “The Hive,” contains totes filled with products and ready-to-deliver customer orders.
As customers’ orders near delivery times, bots retrieve products from The Hive and present them at pick stations for items to be sorted for delivery, a process governed by algorithms that ensure items are intelligently packed.
For example, fragile items are placed on top, bags are evenly weighted, and each order is optimized to fit into the lowest number of bags, reducing plastic use.
Bags are also recyclable, reflecting Kroger’s Zero Hunger | Zero Waste commitment to rid its communities of hunger and waste.