Kroger suspends home delivery to South Florida
Kroger, one of the largest supermarket chains in the country, will suspend its home delivery service to South Florida on May 25 after just two years, the company announced.
In an email to consumers who used the service after it launched in May 2022, the supermarket chain said it planned to close its South Florida delivery service and two others in Texas.
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Consumers can still place orders through May 25, the email said.
“We do not make these decisions lightly, and we understand the impact this has on associates, customers and communities,” the company said. “Despite our best efforts, including the support from new customers, learnings from other locations and the incredible work of our associates, these facilities did not meet the benchmarks we set for success.”
The chain’s venture faced long odds from the start.
While it operates 1,239 stores in 16 states, the company has no physical stores in Florida, according to its website, and South Florida has no shortage of supermarkets.
Publix, the dominant chain, has 867 stores in the state. Of them, 61 are in Miami, 41 are in Fort Lauderdale and 19 are in Miami, according to a January 2023 tally by Tampa radio station Q105.
Other prominent supermarket chains include Aldi, Winn-Dixie, Sprouts, Presidente, Sedano’s, Bravo, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Fresh Market and Walmart. Independently owned stores competing for grocery dollars include Broward Meat and Fish, Doris Italian Market and Euroland.
The company announced the opening of its 60,000-square-foot distribution facility in February 2023. Sorting products shipped from the company’s 375,000-square-foot fulfillment center in Lake County, the distribution facility employed 90 workers and served a 150-mile stretch from Port St. Lucie to Homestead.
Digital accounts will still work and Kroger loyalty cards, gift cards and coupons will still be accepted in the affected regions until May 24, the company said on its website.
Consumers within the markets served by the closing distribution centers who became members of the chain’s Boost service will receive 100% refunds for their membership costs within 30 days, the company said on its website.
Shoppers can still order delivery services if they live within 90 minutes of distribution facilities in Groveland, Tampa, Jacksonville and Cocoa Beach, the company said.
Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. He can be reached by phone at 954-356-4071, on Twitter @ronhurtibise or by email at rhurtibise@sunsentinel.com.
