After a successful pilot, Kroger is slated to implement a new, temperature-controlled eCart called Trace Grocery into its ecommerce operations this year, according to BrightDrop, a General Motors subsidiary focused on creating light commercial electric vehicles. Trace Grocery is designed to help streamline order fulfillment and pickup for online grocery purchases.
Employees can put grocery orders directly into the unit before stationing it curbside for customer retrieval. With access given after digital verification, Trace Grocery is compatible with most grocers' existing online fulfillment apps, enabling flexibility for customers when retrieving their purchases, according to BrightDrop.
“COVID has driven a dramatic increase in online grocery shopping, and fulfilling these orders profitably has become a major challenge for retailers of all sizes. With the Trace Grocery, we saw an opportunity to help companies like Kroger tackle these challenges head-on,” said BrightDrop president and CEO, Travis Katz, in a statement. “As online shopping continues to grow, BrightDrop is committed to developing innovative solutions to help our customers keep pace. The Trace Grocery is a perfect example of this.”
According to the company, the online grocery market is expected to reach $240 billion by 2025.
The Trace Grocery product includes the following features:
• Temperature management to keep items food-safe for up to four hours
• Ability to move up to 350 pounds of groceries
• Safety features like auto-breaking
• Multiple compartments to segment items by order, temperature, and product type
Over the past year, the company has been developing the technology through market research and pilot programs. Kroger was a part of an initial pilot where the grocer noted experiencing a noticeable improvement in the customer and associate experience, according to BrightDrop.
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