CINCINNATI — It’s a strategy shift that founder Barney Kroger never could have imagined: The Kroger Co. wants to make its grocery delivery business profitable by rejecting robots and embracing artificial intelligence.

In a series of moves since March 2024, Kroger closed 11 automated warehouses built by the British technology firm, Ocado, while expanding relationships with Instacart, Door Dash and Uber eats.

Kroger said the move will save $400 million a year and make delivery times faster, while introducing “agentic shopping experiences” to Kroger customers. That will happen with Cart Assistant, an AI tool that Instacart will embed on the Kroger iPhone app early next year.

“It syncs with each customer’s provided preferences, such as dietary goals and purchase history to make shopping mor

See Full Page