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Kroger has closed its online marketplace Kroger Ship to provide products from other companies along with grocery delivery.
The company said in an entry on the platform’s FAQ page it has stopped selling third-party products “as of March 2025.” This entry guided the customer to the company’s pick-up and delivery options and did not state why the decision was made.
The development was first reported on May 13 by Food Trade Publications Food Dive. The page Grocery Dive said included that the notes were not displayed on May 18th.
The FAQ page states that eligible returns are respected.
Kroger, which owns brand names including Ralph’s, King Sopers, Fred Meyer’s, and others, did not respond to a request for comment from USA Today on Sunday, May 18th.
Kroger Shops Hits Shopping Changes After the Pandemic
Kroger launched Kroger Ship in 2018 as a way for grocery stores to ship their own products. Yael Cosset, chief digital officer at Kroger, was advertising at the time as “the next step in creating a seamless experience where customers can shop when and how they want.”
According to Grocery Dive, third-party products were added to the platform in 2020 and expanded further in 2022 through a partnership with Bed Bath and beyond.
According to the grocery trade outlet, ship-to-home grocery services have dropped significantly in popularity in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, moving from 40% of online grocery sales before the pandemic to about 19% of current prices.
