CHICAGO, Oct. 10, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Grocery retailing trade publication Progressive Grocer has selected The Kroger Co. as its 2018 Retailer of the Year.
PG bestowed its highest annual honor on the Cincinnati-based retailer for its aggressive investment in transforming the arena of grocery retailing while focusing all its efforts on maximizing customer service.
"It's this commitment to solutions as part of a seamless shopping experience, this constant innovation in order to better serve consumers on their terms, this vision for what a grocery retailer has to be in order to thrive in a constantly disruptive retail market, that made The Kroger Co. our clear choice for Progressive Grocer's 2018 Retailer of the Year," Editorial Director Jim Dudlicek writes in PG's October 2018 issue.
Kroger has unleashed a constant stream of innovations in the past year, among them: Kroger Ship direct-to-consumer grocery delivery; a partnership with e-seller Alibaba to sell Kroger's Simple Truth products in China; a partnership with UK-based online grocer Ocado to introduce its delivery platform in the United States; an expanded partnership with Instacart to increase its customer delivery coverage area; piloting autonomous delivery in Scottsdale, Ariz., with driverless vehicles by Silicon Valley startup Nuro; OptUp, a data-driven app that helps customers make more informed, healthier purchase decisions; a new digital headquarters in downtown Cincinnati, with plans to grow its digital team to more than 1,000 over the next three years; partnership with the University of Cincinnati to operate an innovation lab within the school's 1819 Innovation Hub; purchased meal kit service Home Chef; opened a culinary innovation center; announced a plan to phase out single-use plastic bags across all Kroger banners by 2025; and launched the Feed Your Future financial support program for employee continuing education benefit.
"The industry continues to be under constant disruption as it transforms from a historically brick-and-mortar enterprise to one that connects with consumers on every level, physical and digital, day and night," Dudlicek said. "Kroger's been a leader in that industry transformation, making significant investments and forging strategic partnerships here and abroad. The transformative investments that Kroger is making are bound to deliver healthy dividends over the long haul."
A feature story in PG's October 2018 issue includes extensive interviews with Kroger senior executives and comment from industry analysts who agree Kroger is on the right track.
"Progressive Grocer is a publication the industry counts on for insightful editorial about the state of retail," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman and CEO. "Being recognized as its 2018 Retailer of the Year is a phenomenal honor for Kroger and our nearly 460,000 associates. It's an exciting time for the company. Everything we are doing is intended to create a truly seamless shopping experience, so we can serve customers anything, anytime and anywhere. You can see this vision coming into focus through several of the key announcements we've made over the past year. And we're not done. Additional puzzle pieces will emerge in the months and years ahead, creating a very clear picture of our vision."
The Kroger Co. serves consumers through 2,800 stores under a variety of regional banners in 35 states as well as a growing click-and-collect and home delivery program. With $122.7 billion in annual sales, Kroger is No. 2 on Progressive Grocer's Super 50 ranking of top grocers.
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SOURCE Progressive Grocer
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