Nuro and Kroger Launch First-Ever Unmanned Delivery Service for the General Public

After extensive testing, Nuro's custom unmanned vehicle begins customer deliveries in Scottsdale, AZ

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Dec 18, 2018, 06:00 ET

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Dec. 18, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Nuro and The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today announced the launch of the first-ever unmanned delivery service available to the general public.

Since August, the companies have operated a self-driving grocery delivery service in Scottsdale, AZ with an autonomous Prius fleet accompanied by vehicle operators. The autonomous vehicles have completed nearly one thousand deliveries to the general public.

Kroger and Nuro Launch First-Ever Unmanned Delivery Service.

With today's launch, the fleet is expanding to include Nuro's custom unmanned vehicle known as the R1. The R1 travels on public roads and has no driver, no passengers and only transports goods. Nuro has been developing the R1 since 2016, and announced its partnership with Kroger, America's largest supermarket retailer, in June.

"Nuro envisions a world without errands, where everything is on-demand and can be delivered affordably. Operating a delivery service using our custom unmanned vehicles is an important first step toward that goal," explained Nuro President and co-founder Dave Ferguson.

"Kroger customers are looking for new, convenient ways to feed their families and purchase the products they need quickly through services like pickup and delivery," said Yael Cosset, Kroger's chief digital officer. "Our autonomous delivery pilot with Nuro over the past few months continues to prove the benefit of the flexible and reliable technology. Through this exciting and innovative partnership, we are delivering a great customer experience and advancing Kroger's commitment to redefine the grocery experience by creating an ecosystem that offers our customers anything, anytime, and anywhere."

Kroger experienced 60 percent digital sales growth in the third quarter, and its seamless coverage area now reaches more than 90 percent of customer households.

Delivery service details:

Where: Fry's Food Stores (single location): 7770 East McDowell Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85257
When: Customers can place delivery orders immediately, for delivery 7 days a week
How: Customers shop via frysfood.com or the Fry's Food Stores mobile app and place their order based on slot availability
What: Grocery orders can be scheduled for same-day or next-day delivery by Nuro's fleet of self-driving vehicles, now featuring the custom unmanned R1 as well as self-driving Prius vehicles
Price: $5.95 flat fee; no minimum order

For photography and video of the R1 unmanned vehicle, click here.

About Nuro
Nuro combines software and hardware expertise to design and build products that accelerate the benefits of robotics for everyday life. Nuro's first product is a self-driving service for local goods transportation. The company is led by world-renowned experts in robotics, artificial intelligence and computer vision. Privately held, Nuro powers partnerships with local businesses seeking new ways to cost effectively transport goods and create new experiences for their customers. For more information, visit www.nuro.ai. Follow Nuro on Twitter and LinkedIn.

About Kroger
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: to Feed the Human Spirit^TM. We are nearly half a million associates who serve over nine million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and 2,779 retail food stores under a variety of banner names, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.

SOURCE The Kroger Co.