Kroger closes Ship marketplace for home delivery of third-party products
Kroger has closed its online marketplace Kroger Ship, which offered products from other companies alongside grocery delivery.
The company said that it stopped selling third party products "as of March 2025" in an entry on its FAQ page for the platform. The entry directs customers to the company's pick-up and delivery options and does not state why the decision was made.
The development was first reported May 13 by grocery trade publication Grocery Dive, who said that a note was put onto the platform announcing its closure. The page that Grocery Dive said contained that note did not show it May 18.
The FAQ page states that eligible returns will be honored.
Kroger, which owns brand names including Ralph's, King Soopers, Fred Meyer's and others, did not respond to a request for comment from Paste BN Sunday, May 18.
Kroger Shop hit by post-pandemic shopping change
Kroger launched Kroger Ship in 2018 as a way for the grocer to ship its own products. Yael Cosset, Kroger's chief digital officer, touted it at the time as "the next step in creating a seamless experience that allows our customers to shop when and how they want."
Third party products were added to the platform in 2020 and the site was further expanded in 2022 through a partnership with Bed Bath and Beyond, according to Grocery Dive.
Ship-to-home grocery services have significantly decreased in popularity in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the channel going from 40% of online grocery sales before the pandemic to around 19% currently, according to the grocery trade outlet.