Kroger and Nuro Launch Autonomous Grocery Delivery Service in Houston

South Post Oak Kroger completes first deliveries to Southwest Houston residents

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Apr 17, 2019, 08:00 ET

HOUSTON, April 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), America's largest grocery retailer, and Nuro, the robotics company transforming local commerce, have launched their autonomous grocery delivery service in Houston, starting with the South Post Oak store and followed by the Buffalo Speedway store later this spring. Houston is the second market for Kroger and Nuro's delivery service, and the first public use of Nuro's self-driving fleet in the city.

Kroger and Nuro's innovative service provides a new type of delivery service option for Houston residents. Like the first pilot market in Scottsdale, Arizona, Kroger and Nuro are starting the service with Nuro's manual and self-driving Toyota Prius fleet, and will introduce the next generation of Nuro's custom driverless vehicle later this year.

"Nuro's initial application of transporting goods through self-driving technology has allowed us to build a real service and have immediate impact on communities," said Nuro co-founder, Dave Ferguson. "We are excited to introduce Houston to our time-saving service that provides customers with their groceries quickly and safely."

"We're excited to launch our autonomous vehicle delivery pilot with Nuro in Houston, a leading city that embraces innovation and technology," said Marlene Stewart, Kroger's Houston division president. "Kroger continues to redefine the customer experience, and we're thrilled to provide our customers with a new way to have their groceries delivered. We thank Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, and the Houston community for being terrific partners and for supporting consumer-focused robotics."

Delivery Service Details:

Where: Two Houston Kroger stores

Store One (available now): 10306 South Post Oak Road, Houston, TX, servicing 77401 and 77096
Store Two (spring 2019): 5150 Buffalo Speedway, Houston, TX, servicing 77005 and 77025
Customers across Greater Houston will continue to have access to the grocery delivery service currently offered by Kroger.

When: Customers can place orders for delivery 7 days a week. The service is currently available at the South Post Oak Road store and will commence at the Buffalo Speedway location this spring.
How: Customers shop via Kroger.com or the Kroger app and place orders based on slot availability.
What: Grocery orders can be scheduled for same-day or next-day delivery by Nuro's fleet of manual and self-driving vehicles.
Price: $5.95 flat fee; no minimum order.

For photography and video of Nuro's fleet, click here.

About Kroger

At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: to Feed the Human Spirit™. We are nearly half a million associates who serve over nine million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and 2,779 retail food stores under a variety of banner names, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.

About Nuro

Nuro combines software and hardware expertise to design and build products that accelerate the benefits of robotics for everyday life. Nuro's first product is a self-driving service for local goods transportation. The company is led by world-renowned experts in robotics, artificial intelligence and computer vision. Privately held, Nuro powers partnerships with local businesses seeking new ways to cost effectively transport goods and create new experiences for their customers. For more information, visit www.nuro.ai. Follow Nuro on Twitter and LinkedIn.

SOURCE The Kroger Co.