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Kroger to enter Oklahoma via Ocado e-commerce ‘spoke’

Oklahoma City facility to extend retailer’s reach into second state where it lacks stores

Russell Redman

February 17, 2022

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Kroger Ocado Indianapolis spoke facility-exterior.jpg
The Oklahoma City spoke will mark Kroger's fifth such facility, three of which are now operational, including the Indianapolis location pictured above.The Kroger Co.

The Kroger Co. is expanding its market area to a 36th state, Oklahoma, through plans to build an Ocado-automated “spoke” fulfillment facility to help fill online orders.

Cincinnati-based Kroger said Thursday that the 50,000-square-foot spoke site, at 8801 North I-35 Service Rd. in Oklahoma City, is slated to go into operation later this year. The facility will support a 350,000-square-foot, Ocado-driven customer fulfillment center (CFC) under construction in Dallas at the corner of 4200 Cleveland Rd. and 4241 Telephone Rd., which is expected to begin operations this spring.

The Oklahoma City spoke will employ up to 191 full-time associates and serve as a last-mile, cross-docking location, extending the reach of Kroger Delivery service from the Dallas “hub” CFC to customers up to 200 miles away, according to Kroger.

“We're excited to extend the Kroger fulfillment network to Oklahoma City, a new geography for our operation and an integral part of our strategy to achieve the doubling of our digital sales and profitability rate by the end of 2023,” Gabriel Arreaga, senior vice president and chief supply chain officer at Kroger, said in a statement. “This grocery delivery service is an innovative addition to the expanding digital shopping experience available to our customers. The spoke facility will provide unmatched, impeccable customer service and improve direct access to fresh food in areas eager for the variety and value offered by Kroger.”

Related:Kroger goes live with Ocado automated warehouse in Atlanta

The Oklahoma City facility will be Kroger’s fifth spoke site. Last month, the supermarket giant said it plans to open a 50,000-square-foot spoke in Louisville, Ky., later this year, which followed the December launch of a 48,000-square-foot spoke location in Indianapolis. Both spokes support a 375,000-square-foot CFC in Monroe, Ohio, which opened in April and was Kroger’s first Ocado facility to go live.

Kroger also has launched spoke facilities in Tampa and Jacksonville, Fla., which work with a 375,000-square-foot CFC in Groveland, Fla., that went into operation in June and marked the retailer’s entry into Florida, another state where it doesn’t have physical stores.

Last week, Kroger officially opened an Ocado CFC in Forest Park, Ga., that serves the Atlanta market. The 375,000-square-foot facility underwent a soft launch in December.

“We continue to be pleased with the rollout of our customer fulfillment centers in Groveland, Fla., and Monroe, Ohio, which are both exceeding internal expectations, and our most recent facility opening in Forest Park, Ga.,” Arreaga added. “We’ve experienced incredible Net Promoter Scores, and our customers tell us they love our friendly, professionally trained drivers and their refrigerated delivery vans that bring the freshest food directly to their doorsteps. We’re eager to continue expanding our fulfillment network and entering into both existing and new geographies through hub and spoke facilities.”

Related:Kroger to open e-grocery 'spoke' facility in Kentucky

So far, Kroger has announced 16 CFCs, with three — Monroe, Groveland and Forest Park — now fully operational. In December, Kroger said it aims to construct a 200,000-square-foot CFC in North Carolina, expected to launch within 24 months after ground-breaking on the site. The other Ocado CFCs reported by Kroger run from 135,000 to 375,000 square feet and include locations in Frederick, Md.; Phoenix; Pleasant Prairie, Wis.; and Romulus, Mich., as well as unspecified sites in the Pacific Northwest, West and Northeast, the latter representing another location where Kroger lacks stores. The retailer also has announced plans for two CFCs in Southern California and two more in Florida.

Currently, Kroger has 2,726 brick-and-mortar stores in 34 states under banners including Kroger, Ralphs, Dillons, Smith’s, King Soopers, Fry’s, QFC, City Market, Owen’s, Jay C, Pay Less, Baker’s, Gerbes, Harris Teeter, Pick ‘n Save, Metro Market, Mariano’s, Fred Meyer, Food 4 Less and Foods Co. Florida represents the only state where the retailer now operates but doesn’t have physical stores.

Kroger unveiled its partnership with United Kingdom-based Ocado Group in May 2018, at which time the companies said they planned 20 CFCs in the United States over the ensuing three years. The Ocado CFCs and supporting facilities use vertical integration, machine learning and robotics to service online grocery orders and are expected to expand Kroger’s reach to a larger geographic footprint, including in areas where it doesn’t operate brick-and-mortar stores.

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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