*By Amanda Weston*
Grocery chain Kroger launched a new delivery service Wednesday to compete with industry giants Amazon and Walmart.
[Kroger Ship](https://ship.kroger.com/) offers more than 50,000 products to online shoppers in Cincinnati, Houston, Louisville, and Nashville. The chain aims to lure new customers with curated options, free shipping for orders over $35, and discounts.
Online shopping accounts for about 2 percent of the American food-and-beverage market, but it's rapidly expanding.
"When you look at all these new channels in the industry, they are growing extremely, extremely fast," Yael Cosset, Kroger's chief digital officer, said Thursday in an interview with Cheddar.
This isn't Kroger's first attempt at online delivery. The grocery chain has offered delivery service from almost half its 2,800 stories through Instacart.
The new service represents the chain's ambition to make shopping easier for its customers ー and help keep its brick and mortar businesses stable.
"The direct interaction with some of the fresh assortment ー produce, meat, seafood, cheese ー experiential engagement is still very important to them," he said. "They do, however, still want the convenience and simplicity that a digital engagement can offer."
Kroger is going up against Amazon, a formidable competitor, [which sold](https://www.wsj.com/articles/kroger-to-launch-grocery-delivery-service-1533117720) about $650 million worth of food items in the second quarter, up 40 percent from 2017.
As for Kroger Ship's future, Cosset said digital partnerships will also play a major role in growth.
For more on this story, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/kroger-introduces-kroger-ship-delivery-service).
As we celebrate Black History Month, Cheddar is highlighting prominent Black Americans who are carving their own historic paths and trailblazing in their fields. Today we feature poet and activist Amanda Gorman.
Russia pulls back some troops from the Ukraine border, Texas sues Meta over facial recognition, and crypto hackers are getting a documentary. Here is all the news you Need2Know for Tuesday, February 15, 2022.
While candy, greeting cards, and flowers make the top three most popular gifts, experiences are growing in popularity.
As we celebrate Black History Month, Cheddar is highlighting prominent Black Americans who are carving their own historic paths and trailblazing in their fields. Today we feature media mogul Byron Allen.
Canada breaks up the Ambassador Bridge blockade, the Los Angeles Rams win it all, and Wordle for geography buffs. Here is all the news you Need2Know for Monday, February 14, 2022.
The interactive art museum Color Factory in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood has transformed for Valentine’s Day.
As Super Bowl LVI shapes up to be the biggest gambling event in sports history, restaurants and bars are looking to get in on the rapidly growing world of legalized sports betting.
Police rescued an 80-year-old suburban Chicago woman who was held hostage for nearly 21 hours in large part because she couldn’t text one of her daughters her daily Wordle score during the ordeal.
As we celebrate Black History Month, Cheddar is highlighting prominent Black Americans who are carving their own historic paths and trailblazing in their fields. Today we feature New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Prices are soaring, gamblers are getting ready for the Super Bowl, and a bar opens in the metaverse. Here is all the news you Need2Know for Friday, February 11, 2022.
