DC Velocity - June 2019

24 DC VELOCITY JUNE 2019 www.dcvelocity.com t h o u g ht le a d ers

K EVI N COND ON

to invest and update our traditional supply chain through innovation. We have advanced automation systems in our traditional supply chain that have been creating value for nearly 20 years.

Sometimes, maintaining the traditional just means replacing forklifts or conveyor motors. But maintaining the traditional can also leverage innovation and emerging technologies.

This is most effectively accomplished through controllable pilots and through research and development initiatives, allowing our team to test and learn quickly and then roll out programs that are scalable, robust, and sustainable.

QYou have a pilot program in Arizona using robotics company Nuro’s autonomous vehicles for home delivery. How is that going and what have you learned from it?

AA partnership with an innovative company like Nuro is extremely exciting for someone in the supply chain
strategy space. The fact that we’ve now expanded the pilot
into a second market in Houston is encouraging for the
future of the program. I’m looking forward to evaluating
applications throughout various supply chain deployments
as we learn more about the capabilities and advantages of
autonomous delivery.

QYou also have a pilot program with Walgreens to send customer orders to Walgreens stores for pickup. How is it working?

AThe exploratory pilot with Walgreens creates an exciting opportunity to learn more about how customers want to engage with Kroger and our brands. With Kroger Express [a program through which a select range of Kroger products is offered at Walgreens stores] at 13 test stores in northern Kentucky, we’re learning more about supply chain opportunities to support a data-driven grocery assortment in a format different from a traditional Kroger store.

We’re also offering our “Kroger Pickup” click-and-collect service at Walgreens locations, which expands options for customers to pick up their orders at even more convenient locations. As this pilot progresses, we’re looking forward to creating transformative solutions within the supply chain to support this partnership.

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