Kroger has shut down Kroger Ship, an online marketplace that offered delivery of groceries and other products from third-party merchants, according to a note on the grocer’s website.
The direct-to-consumer service ceased operations in March, Kroger said on the site. A direct link to the page with the note no longer works, but a link to the information on an FAQ page was still functional on Tuesday.
Kroger did not indicate why it elected to end the service but noted that shoppers can still place orders for groceries through its delivery and pickup channels. A Kroger spokesperson did not respond by publication time to an email requesting comment about the retailer’s decision to close down Ship.
Kroger launched Kroger Ship in 2018 as a way for customers to purchase groceries and then expanded it in 2020 to include a range of products from outside sellers, including housewares, toys and seasonal general merchandise. The retailer also added specialty grocery items to Kroger Ship as part of the expansion.
In 2022, Kroger began selling items including bedding, storage products and baby furniture from former retailer Bed Bath & Beyond and its Buybuy Baby chain on Ship.
E-commerce expert Celia Van Wickel noted in a Sunday post on LinkedIn that Kroger had discontinued Ship, pointing out that the change occurred at about the same time the grocer announced the formation of a centralized unit to house its digital operations.
The ship-to-home e-commerce channel, which depends on common carriers like FedEx and UPS, is far less popular as a way to purchase groceries now than it was before the COVID-19 pandemic sparked intense consumer interest in grocers’ pickup and delivery services.
Ship-to-home services represented more than 40% of online grocery sales before the public health crisis, but that figure is now around 19%, according to data from Brick Meets Click and Mercatus.
