Kroger Partners With Microsoft to Launch New Format Experiences
CINCINNATI, OH - Amazon Go might be meeting its Stateside match in 2019 if Kroger and Microsoft have anything to do with it. This week, the two announced a collaboration to redefine the brick-and-mortar customer experience and plans to pilot a new connected store experience using Kroger Technology products powered by Microsoft Azure—the retailer’s preferred cloud platform for Retail as a Service (RaaS). Kroger's new pilot will guide expansion plans in 2019 and beyond.
"Kroger is building a seamless ecosystem driven by data and technology to provide our customers with personalized food inspiration. We are identifying partners through Restock Kroger who will help us reinvent the customer experience and create new profit streams that will also accelerate our core business growth. We are excited to collaborate with Microsoft to redefine grocery retail," said Kroger’s CEO and Chairman Rodney McMullen.
As part of their collaboration, Kroger and Microsoft will transform two pilot stores in Monroe, Ohio, and Redmond, Washington, in order to leverage RaaS and establish a way to quickly implement innovations that will create new customer experiences, enable higher levels of personalization, and increase store associate productivity.
"Our partnership brings together Kroger's world-class expertise in the grocery industry with the power of Azure and Azure AI," said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. "Together, we will redefine the shopping experience for millions of customers at both Kroger and other retailers around the world, setting a new standard for innovation in the industry."
One way Kroger and Microsoft are changing the face of retail is by using Microsoft Azure to store and process data generated in stores and introduce never-before seen shopping experiences. According to a press release, this includes the latest generation of EDGE™ Shelf (Enhanced Display for Grocery Environment)—a shelving system that uses digital displays to indicate everything from prices and promotions to nutritional and dietary information. The new EDGE Shelf will work in tandem with Kroger's Scan, Bag, Go®, alerting store associates of out-of-stock items and helping them fulfil curbside pickup orders. EDGE Shelf will also enable the retailer to generate new revenue by selling digital advertising space to consumer packaged goods (CPGs) brands.
To learn more about the new pilot, read Kroger’s press release in its entirety here.
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