US retailer Kroger has announced plans to extend its 'exploratory' pilot project in collaboration with Walgreens to Knoxville in Tennessee.
Commencing this autumn, 35 Walgreens stores in Knoxville will feature a selection of Kroger's popular products, such as Simple Truth.
The product offering will vary across stores and will include fresh meat, fruit and vegetables, dairy, frozen foods, shelf-stable products, and Home Chef meal solutions.
Most locations will house a full Kroger Express assortment, offering up to 2,700 products.
Future Potential
Jeff Talbot, Kroger's vice president of new business development, said, "Expanding our pilot to Knoxville demonstrates the ongoing success and future potential of bringing together the best of Kroger's food authority with Walgreens' global expertise in health and beauty.
"Our growing relationship with Walgreens is just one more way Kroger is making life easier and better for even more customers – because everyone deserves to have affordable, easy-to-enjoy, fresh food," Talbot added.
A Curated Selection
Kroger's outlets will also offer a curated selection of Walgreens' owned-brand health and beauty products in 17 outlets, as part of the 'exploratory' pilot.
The product range will include beauty, personal care, over-the-counter medications, and wellness.
Walgreens Boots Alliance brands No.7 and Soap & Glory will also be a part of the assortment, Kroger said.
Richard Ashworth, Walgreens president of operations, said, "Working with Kroger, we're continuing to re-invent our customer offer to meet shoppers' evolving needs, which includes offering private-label grocery and health products at a great value, through an integrated omnichannel experience."
Pick Up Service
Kroger will also expand its pick-up services to the pilot stores, which enables shoppers to place a digital order on kroger.com or through the Kroger app and avail of curbside pickup at a participating location.
In October of 2018, Kroger launched this pilot project in 13 selected Walgreens outlets near its Cincinnati headquarters in Northern Kentucky.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
