AUSTIN, Texas — While many Texans are loyal to H-E-B, another grocer is expanding its footprint in the Lone Star State.
Kroger announced a new delivery station in Austin this week, meaning you can get your fresh produce dropped off at your door.
But the actual packing will be done by robots. Kroger said more than 100 robots move around 3D grids at its Dallas hub and fill the totes that eventually make it to your door.
The 70,121-square-foot “spoke” facility in Austin will work in conjunction with the Dallas fulfillment center, Kroger said. All orders are picked at the Dallas facility and placed in climate-controlled vehicles to travel to Austin. Once the orders arrive, they are checked and placed on refrigerated delivery trucks that deliver directly to customers’ doors.
"Austin is one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, and we are thrilled to connect more customers to the Kroger Delivery shopping experience, which brings thousands of digital coupons, valuable fuel points and the freshest products directly to customers' doors," said Rebekah Manis, senior director of Kroger Delivery fulfillment centers.
The new station will employ about 70 Austinites in a part of the city that is considered a food desert.
"Much of District 1 is what the USDA identifies as a 'food desert,' which is defined as an area where residents have limited options for securing affordable and healthy foods. And although this Kroger facility will serve all of Austin, it's important to note that its location is in one of these areas," City Councilmember Natasha Harper-Madison (District 1) said. "I am glad to see Kroger making this investment in our community starting right here in District 1 where residents need access to healthy, fresh food."
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