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Kroger eyes homegrown tech talent

Retailer teams with University of Cincinnati on innovation lab

Russell Redman

August 29, 2018

3 Min Read
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The Kroger Co. is backing up its growing technology investment with efforts to bolster its IT prowess.

Kroger yesterday said it plans to operate an innovation lab at the University of Cincinnati (UC) 1819 Innovation Hub. Under the agreement, the Cincinnati-based supermarket giant will staff the lab with resources, including research-and-development engineers and software developers, alongside university faculty. The initiative also includes a student co-op and internship program.

Chris_Hjelm_Kroger_CIO_1_0.png"Kroger's new partnership with the University of Cincinnati is one more way we are investing to create the now and future of retail," Chris Hjelm (left), executive vice president and chief information officer at Kroger, said in a statement. "This innovative collaboration is driven by Restock Kroger and provides the Kroger Technology team another creative space to partner and develop solutions to redefine the grocery customer experience." 

Located in Cincinnati’s Uptown Innovation Corridor, the 1819 Innovation Hub serves as a focal point of community innovation and impact in partnership with higher education, according to Kroger and UC. The four-story building — which officially opened this week for the fall semester — houses a 12,000-square-feet makerspace and micro-factory, state-of-the-art classrooms and multipurpose rooms.

Related:Kroger Ship expands to Atlanta

"The 1819 Innovation Hub is a co-working community where we will build and discover the next generation of technology and talent," Hjelm added. "Our vision is to create a talent pipeline that supports our business and positions the region as a place for digital and technology students and professionals."

Construction of Kroger's 2,500-square-feet innovation lab, to be located on the third floor, is under way and slated for completion in October.

"Working with a hometown company and one of the world's largest retailers gives our university an opportunity to make an impact not only locally but also globally,” UC President Neville Pinto commented. “This is the kind of partnership that allows our students and faculty to work on real-world challenges in a cross-disciplinary way, while offering our corporate partners added value with access to talent, expertise, research, creativity, and specialized equipment and technology."

In late June, Kroger announced that it will move its digital headquarters to downtown Cincinnati. The company in July started shifting about 500 jobs from its Blue Ash, Ohio, technology campus — which houses its digital customer team (including mobile and e-commerce) — and another 100 digital jobs from its general offices on Vine Street in Cincinnati to the new Atrium Two digital headquarters. Plans call for Kroger to ramp up its current digital team of 500 associates to 1,000 by 2020.

Related:Kroger to pilot unmanned grocery delivery vehicles

The retailer also noted that its Kroger Technology unit partners with the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber's "Cincy is IT" effort to draw top tech talent, and the company supports Cincinnati-based Cintrifuse, a public-private partnership to spur innovation via start-ups.

Other Kroger tech campuses include its 200,000-square-foot data and systems operations center in Blue Ash; 84.51° consumer analytics arm in downtown Cincinnati; You Technology digital coupons and promotions unit in Brisbane, Calif.; and Vitacost health and wellness e-commerce subsidiary in Boca Raton, Fla.

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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