MILWAUKEE, Nov. 14, 2019
/PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), America's favorite
grocer, and Ocado (LSE: OCDO), one of the world's largest dedicated
online grocery retailers, today announced Pleasant Prairie, WI, as the sixth location
for a Customer Fulfillment Center (CFC).
"Kroger is incredibly excited to construct one of our
industry-leading Customer Fulfillment Centers in Pleasant Prairie, WI, in relationship with
Ocado to bring fresh food to our customers faster than ever
before," said Robert Clark, Kroger's
senior vice president of supply chain, manufacturing and sourcing.
"Through our strategic partnership, we are engineering a model for
the region, leveraging advanced robotics technology and creative
solutions to redefine the customer experience for our customers in
Wisconsin and Illinois."
Kroger has partnered with Ocado to accelerate its ability to
provide customers with anything, anytime, anywhere. In June, Kroger
broke ground on its first CFC in Monroe,
OH and has since announced additional locations in
Florida, Georgia, Texas, and in the Mid-Atlantic region.
"We are excited to bring Kroger and Ocado's latest automated
warehouse to Pleasant Prairie. As
this site develops and goes live, it will be instrumental in
delivering fantastic grocery experiences and exciting job
opportunities to households across Chicago, Milwaukee and beyond," said Luke Jensen, CEO of Ocado Solutions. "Today's
announcement marks another big milestone on the road to developing
a seamless fulfilment ecosystem for Kroger customers across the
United States. Ocado's proven technology will allow Kroger to
achieve the lowest cost-to-serve in the market, combined with the
best freshness, accuracy and service."
"We're extremely pleased that two companies of Kroger and
Ocado's stature are the latest to choose Wisconsin for their operations," said
Missy Hughes, secretary and chief
executive officer of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
(WEDC). "Wisconsin's excellent
transportation infrastructure, educated and highly-skilled workers
and strong communities make our state the clear choice for
businesses like Kroger and Ocado that are looking to grow. We look
forward to working with them, the Kenosha Area Business Association
and Pleasant Prairie to move this
project forward."
The Pleasant Prairie CFC will measure 350,000 square feet and is
expected to create up to 400 new jobs.
"Pleasant Prairie is honored to
have Kroger join our community. It's exciting to know we'll have a
business that can deliver fresh groceries right to the doorstep of
our neighborhoods and the entire region," said Nathan Thiel, Pleasant Prairie Village
Administrator. "Kroger is an excellent community partner, and we
are committed to protecting and preserving their investment in our
community."
"This project expands Kroger's commitment to continued
investment in Wisconsin and
Illinois. With this cutting-edge
technology, Kroger is confident our partnership with Ocado will
play an integral role in the continued commerce growth of this
dynamic region," added Michael Marx,
Kroger Roundy's president. "This
transformative fulfillment center will create local jobs and
accelerate Kroger's ability to expand our products and services to
a larger footprint, providing customers with anything, anytime,
anywhere."
The CFC will become operational 24 months after the site breaks
ground and will serve customers in Wisconsin, northern Illinois and northwest Indiana.
To view video and photography of a CFC, visit here.
About The Kroger Co.
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are Fresh for Everyone™ and
dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit®. We are, across
our family of companies, nearly half a million associates who serve
over 11 million customers daily through a seamless shopping
experience under a variety of banner names. We are committed to
creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more
about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.
About Ocado Solutions
Ocado Solutions is responsible for Ocado's corporate
partnerships, providing the Ocado Smart Platform (OSP) as a service
to retailers around the world. OSP comprises access to Ocado's
physical infrastructure solutions, running highly efficient
warehouse operations for the single pick of products, together with
the entire end-to-end proprietary software applications required to
operate a world class online grocery business. It is underpinned by
Ocado's proven expertise and experience as a dedicated online
grocer in the UK.
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SOURCE The Kroger Co.