Kroger

Google backs AV-maker Nuro in latest $600M funding round

Nuro announces $600 million Series D funding round led by Tiger Global with participation from Google and Kroger

Autonomous vehicle maker Nuro on Tuesday announced a $600 million financing round led by Tiger Global Management to develop and deploy its robot delivery network nationwide. Notably, the series D included new participation from Alphabet property Google (NASDAQ: GOOGL) and grocery retailer Kroger (NYSE: KR).

In total, Nuro has now raised over $2 billion to reach a valuation of about $8.6 billion, an anonymous source familiar with the round told TechCrunch. The robo-delivery company’s previous...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/google-backs-av-maker-nuro-in-latest-600m-funding-round

Misfits Market creates 4 more oases in US food deserts

Misfits Market now offering online grocery delivery in Arizona, New Mexico, Nebraska, Oklahoma

Food deserts are areas of the country where residents have little or no access to affordable and healthy foods. Despite COVID-19 accelerating the fight against food insecurity, nearly 20 million Americans still live in these regions. For these people, prospects are slim for major grocers that sell everything you need for cheap — the Walmarts, the Krogers and the like.

Many who live in food deserts don’t have the resources to travel to stores with affordable or nutritious grocery options, so one...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/misfits-market-creates-4-more-oases-in-us-food-deserts

Fred Meyer warehouse workers in PNW prepare for strike

Front entrance to a Fred Meyer grocery store.

Grocery distribution to Fred Meyer stores in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska could be disrupted starting Sunday if unionized warehouse workers vote to strike after talks on a new contract broke down. 

Meanwhile, spokespersons said representatives for the Teamsters union reached a tentative agreement with Safeway on a new labor deal for truck drivers and warehouse workers shortly after midnight Friday, likely ensuring that about 200 stores in the region will continue to receive deliveries...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/fred-meyer-warehouse-workers-in-pnw-prepare-for-strike

Kroger partnering with KNAPP to automate Great Lakes Distribution Center

Kroger Co., America’s largest grocery retailer, announced Tuesday that it has entered into an agreement with KNAPP, one of the world’s largest innovators in the intelligent automation space, to overhaul its Great Lakes Distribution Center in Delaware, Ohio.

Amy McCormick, Kroger’s corporate affairs manager, said the move “will more than double our capacity and allow us to better serve our customers in the Columbus division of Kroger.” The expansion will add 130,000 square feet to the warehouse...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/kroger-partnering-with-knapp-to-automate-great-lakes-distribution-center

Without changes, warehouses could ground drone deliveries

Maybe not today, and not likely tomorrow, but one day soon, many Americans will receive their first e-commerce delivery by drone. For residents in select areas of the country – North Carolina, Arkansas and Ohio among others – drones are already making deliveries to the home.

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Walmart (NYSE: WMT), UPS (NYSE: UPS) and Kroger (NYSE: KR) are among the large retailers and delivery providers that are rapidly scaling up drone delivery tests. Others will soon follow.

But while...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/without-changes-warehouses-could-ground-drone-deliveries

Report: Kroger’s drone delivery takes flight

Just one month after announcing it would begin drone delivery service in Centerville, Ohio, grocery chain Kroger officially kicked off the service on Wednesday, according to a report in the Journal-News.

The drone service, provided by Drone Express, a division of Telegrid Technologies, will transport items up to 5 pounds from the Kroger store located at Centerville Kroger Marketplace. New Jersey-based Drone Express is operating the service using technology based in its nearby Monroe, Ohio,...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/report-krogers-drone-delivery-takes-flight

Motive unclear in fatal shootings of 2 warehouse workers

Fatal shooting at warehouse

Investigators are still trying to determine why a longtime warehouse employee fatally shot two co-workers at a Roundy’s Wisconsin distribution center late Tuesday before turning the gun on himself following a police chase. 

In a news conference on Thursday, Oconomowoc Police Chief James Pfister said his officers were dispatched around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday to the Roundy’s distribution center. 

Officers located two victims — Kevin Kloth, 51, of Germantown, Wisconsin, and Kevin Schneider, 39, of...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/motive-unclear-in-fatal-shootings-of-2-warehouse-workers

The Daily Dash: DB Schenker’s US plans; Variant’s growth

DB Schenker eyes US trucking market

The Daily Dash is a quick look at what is happening in the freight ecosystem. In today’s edition, DB Schenker, a leading global logistics player, has its eye set on conquering the U.S. Plus, U.S. Xpress’ CEO sees big things coming for its Variant division, and flatbed operator Daseke reports earnings and issues a mixed outlook for 2021.

A new North American player?

After decades operating a major international freight and warehousing business in the U.S., the logistics division of German rail...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/the-daily-dash-db-schenkers-us-plans-variants-growth

Walmart vs Kroger: A strategy battle for online grocery

This is an excerpt from Thursday’s (1/28) Point of Sale retail supply chain newsletter.

Automation is playing an increasingly important role in online grocery fulfillment. Automated warehouses are not new to retail supply chains, but online demand for groceries in the U.S. never warranted them. Prior to the pandemic, roughly 4% of American grocery spending was done online, compared with upward of 15% in the U.K. and South Korea. But the pandemic changed everything for grocers. Online grocery...

Love’s joins companies incentivizing workers to get COVID vaccine

Editor’s Note: Updates 5th paragraph with Pilot Company statement

The Love’s Family of Companies is paying a $75 bonus to its 28,000 employees to get the COVID vaccine. The truck stop operators joins businesses offering paid time off to allow workers in close contact with customers to get inoculated.

Oklahoma City-based Love’s operates more than 500 truck stops and travel plazas in 41 states. They are deemed essential businesses during the coronavirus pandemic because they serve truck drivers...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/loves-joins-companies-incentivizing-workers-to-get-covid-vaccine

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