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Kroger unveils annual subscription program

Boost by Kroger Plus offers free unlimited deliveries and extra fuel rewards

Russell Redman

November 4, 2021

3 Min Read
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Boost by Kroger Plus comes in two membership tiers, priced at $59 or $99 per year, and all members get free delivery for online orders of $35 or more.Kroger

The Kroger Co. has introduced Boost by Kroger Plus, an annual subscription service that offers online benefits and additional rewards via the Kroger Plus loyalty program.

In announcing the new offering yesterday, Kroger said Boost by Kroger Plus comes in two membership tiers, priced at $59 or $99 per year. All members get free delivery for online orders of $35 or more and double fuel points (up to $1 off per gallon of gasoline) for each dollar spent on groceries and general merchandise. The $59 annual membership provides delivery within 24 hours, while the $99-per-year option offers delivery in as soon as two hours.

Those signing up for either Boost membership tier receive a one-time welcome kit valued at over $100, with offers from Home Chef, Murray’s Cheese, Vitacost and The Kroger Co.’s “Our Brands” private labels. The kit offsets the first-year cost of membership, the Cincinnati-based supermarket giant noted.

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Customers enrolling in Boost by Kroger Plus also receive double the fuel points they earn from grocery and other purchases.

Kroger is launching Boost by Kroger Plus through its Cincinnati-Dayton, Columbus and Atlanta and Central (Indianapolis) divisions. Plans call for the membership program to roll out to more regions next year, the company said.

“Kroger Boost is an accelerant to the Kroger Family of Companies’ rapidly expanding seamless ecosystem, which includes our new Kroger Delivery fulfillment centers,” Bill Bennett, vice president and head of e-commerce at The Kroger Co., said in a statement. “Through Boost, Kroger remains uniquely positioned to be ‘Fresh for Everyone,’ making grocery delivery accessible to every customer through the industry’s most affordable free delivery membership. Combine this with a 2X multiplier on our industry-leading fuel points program, and we’re confident we’ve built a truly differentiated membership program that our customers will love.”

Related:Kroger unveils omnichannel partnership with Bed Bath & Beyond

Boost by Kroger Plus builds on the Delivery Savings Pass subscription that Kroger quietly piloted in Dallas and Los Angeles starting in May 2020. For $79 annually, the membership provides unlimited free grocery delivery for orders of at least $35, waiving the normal $9.95 fee per delivery order. Delivery Savings Pass e-gift cards also are available.

Kroger’s new subscription service continues a trend of grocery retailers trying to lock up followings of loyal, omnichannel shoppers via membership programs, à la Amazon’s successful Prime customer benefits plan, which also extends to the e-tail giant’s Whole Foods Market subsidiary. Retailers now offering or piloting such subscription programs include Walmart (Walmart ), Albertsons Cos. (FreshPass), Publix Super Markets (Club Publix), Ahold Delhaize USA’s The Giant Company, Hy-Vee (Hy-Vee Plus), SpartanNash (Fast Lane) and Harris Teeter, among others.

Related:Kroger to enter Northeast with Ocado robotic warehouse

“Customers are increasingly looking for more convenient ways to feed their families and shop for groceries while consolidating trips and saving money,” commented Scott Hays, president of the Kroger Cincinnati/Dayton Division, which more than 100 supermarkets plus pharmacies, fuel centers, warehouses and offices in greater Cincinnati and Dayton, northern Kentucky and eastern Indiana. “From fresh food to household essentials, Boost elevates everything Kroger has to offer while providing our customers access to a new level of savings and benefits.”

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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