Kroger has no time to waste as it inks automated micro-fulfillment solution deal with Fulfil

Kroger is partnering with Fulfil to pilot its automated micro-fulfillment solution inside a US West Coast location, according to a LinkedIn post courtesy of Brittain Ladd, a supply chain consultant and former Amazon executive.

In the post, Ladd states that sources from Kroger have confirmed the retailer is additionally in discussions with Blue Collar Robotics, a startup that leverages teleoperated robots to pick groceries and fulfill online grocery orders. The robots will also replenish shelves with products.

“Both of these decisions are a wise move by Kroger. Great job!” Ladd commented. “Fulfil is the same company that Amazon and Whole Foods Market partnered with to open an MFC inside a Whole Foods store in PA.”

He added: “Will this drive Amazon to acquire Fulfil? I've written multiple posts about Fulfil, and I recommended to Amazon to partner with or acquire it three years ago. The challenge for Kroger is that Amazon and Walmart are accelerating their investments in technology and micro-fulfillment to deliver online grocery orders in one to three hours.”

“Kroger partnered with Ocado Group to open automated customer fulfillment centres (CFC) but the CFCs are unable to fulfill and deliver orders in one to three hours. Even same-day deliveries are a challenge for the CFCs due to their locations. Ocado has announced they're piloting store-based automation beginning in 2026, and Kroger appears to be one of the companies that will pilot their in-store micro-fulfillment solution.”

Ladd believes that Kroger should pilot an AutoStore, and assess solutions from Veloq and Oda, in addition to Fulfill and Ocado's SBA. “I believe H-E-B has the most advanced automated MFC capabilities out of any grocery retailer in the world. HEB's MFCs are powered by AutoStore. I support the partnership with Fulfil, but I would have preferred for Kroger to pilot Fulfil's solution two years ago.”

He concluded: “Amazon and Walmart have multiple pilots planned as well related to MFCs. For example, Amazon is piloting a 50,000 square feet MFC in the Supercenter they're opening near Chicago in 2027. Walmart is piloting SymMicro MFCs from Symbotic. DoorDash is testing its own robotics and autonomous vehicle solutions related to online grocery fulfillment. They should be revealed by early 2027 if DoorDash is successful. Kroger has no time to waste.”

Kroger and Fulfil did not respond to our request for comment.

2026 RTIH Innovation Awards

Supply chain automation will be a key focus area at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards are now open for entries and celebrate global retail technology innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our winners will be revealed at the 2026 RTIH Innovation Awards Ceremony, taking place at The HAC in Central London on Wednesday, 4th November.

Check out our 2025 winners here.

Our 2025 hall of fame entrants were revealed during a sold out event which took place at The HAC on 16th October and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by award winning comedian, actress and writer Tiff Stevenson.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “This is the awards’ fifth year as a physical event. We started off with just 30 people at the South Place Hotel not far from here, then moved to London Bridge Hotel, then The Barbican, and last year RIBA’s HQ in the West End.”

“But I’m conscious of the fact that, to quote the legend that is Taylor Swift, You’re only as hot as your last hit, baby. So, this year we’ve moved to our biggest venue yet, and also pulled in our largest number of entries to date and broken attendance records.”

He added: “This year’s submissions have without doubt been our best yet. To quote one of the judges: The examples of innovative developments across both traditional and digital retail spaces were truly remarkable.”

Congratulations to our winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Tiff Stevenson, and all those who attended our 2025 gathering.