Kroger and Nuro expand autonomous grocery delivery service to Houston

On April 17, 2019 The Kroger Co. and robotics firm Nuro announced the launch of their autonomous grocery delivery service in Houston, starting with the South Post Oak store and followed by the Buffalo Speedway store later in spring. Houston is the second market for Kroger and Nuro’s delivery service and the first public use of Nuro’s self-driving fleet in the city. The companies launched the pilot project in Scottsdale, Ariz.

“Nuro’s initial application of transporting goods through self-driving technology has allowed us to build a real service and have immediate impact on communities,” said Nuro co-founder, Dave Ferguson. “We are excited to introduce Houston to our time-saving service that provides customers with their groceries quickly and safely,” Ferguson said.

“We’re excited to launch our autonomous vehicle delivery pilot with Nuro in Houston, a leading city that embraces innovation and technology,” said Marlene Stewart, Kroger’s Houston division president. “Kroger continues to redefine the customer experience, and we’re thrilled to provide our customers with a new way to have their groceries delivered. We thank Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, and the Houston community for being terrific partners and for supporting consumer-focused robotics,” Stewart added.  

Customers will be able to place orders for delivery seven days per week via Kroger.com or the Kroger app and place orders based on slot availability. Orders can be scheduled for same-day or next-day delivery by Nuro’s fleet of manual and self-driving vehicles for a $5.95 flat fee.