The Kroger Co. has piloted a temperature-controlled cart that houses curbside pickup grocery orders for self-service customer retrieval.
General Motors subsidiary BrightDrop said this week that Kroger will be the first customer to introduce the Trace Grocery eCart (click here to view video) into its e-commerce operations, starting this year. The electric-powered cart enables store associates to put orders directly into the unit and station it curbside for customers to pick up their groceries. After providing digital verification, customers open the designated drawer and take their items.
Plans call for the first Kroger Co. supermarkets to receive Trace Grocery eCarts later this year. BrightDrop said the upcoming rollout follows a pilot program completed with Cincinnati-based Kroger at stores in Lexington and Versailles, Ky., in which the retailer saw “a noticeable improvement” in the customer and associate experience. BrightDrop reported that the cart decreased time to serve by up to 34%.
Source: Super Market News