FREDERICK, Md., Jan. 23, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Kroger Co.
(NYSE: KR), America's largest grocery retailer, and Ocado (LSE:
OCDO), a world leader in technology for grocery ecommerce, today
announced Frederick, MD, as the
latest location for a Customer Fulfillment Center (CFC).
"Kroger is incredibly excited to construct one of our
industry-leading Customer Fulfillment Centers in Maryland 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."
Kroger has partnered with Ocado to accelerate its ability to
provide customers with anything, anytime, anywhere. The CFC model –
an automated warehouse facility with digital and robotic
capabilities – will be used to serve customers across the
region.
"We are excited to bring Kroger and Ocado's latest automated
warehouse to Frederick. This site
will be key to delivering amazing grocery experiences to households
across Maryland, Pennsylvania and the District of Columbia. It will also create
fantastic job opportunities for engineers looking to work alongside
state-of-the-art robotics and automation," said Luke Jensen, CEO of Ocado Solutions. "The
warehouse will be a key component of the seamless fulfilment
ecosystem that Kroger is developing for 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 are thrilled that these two respected companies have chosen
Maryland as the location for a new
high-tech, innovative Mid-Atlantic hub," said Governor Larry Hogan. "This is a big win for Frederick County and yet another shining
example that Maryland truly is
open for business."
"This is excellent news for Frederick
County," said Frederick County Executive Jan Gardner. "We are thrilled to welcome Kroger
and Ocado. Their high-tech innovative business will bring life to a
vacant distribution facility, will add hundreds of new jobs, and
make an investment of tens of millions of dollars in our community.
County staff worked closely with the businesses for many months,
facilitating a smooth process for permits, water and sewer, and
other details. We were pleased to fast-track the project and want
Kroger and Ocado to know our support will be ongoing. We are
pleased to welcome them to our growing e-commerce business
community. Frederick County is a
great place to do business."
This new 350,000-square-foot CFC will accelerate Kroger's
ability to expand its products to a larger footprint. Upon
completion, 400 new jobs will be created with up to 100 more added
later as the service area of this facility expands.
The facility will be located at 7106 Geoffrey Way in
Frederick, MD. The site confirms
an earlier announcement identifying the Mid-Atlantic region as one
of the first shed locations. It is expected to become operational
24 months after the site breaks ground and will service several
markets, including Washington
D.C., Baltimore and
Philadelphia.
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.