*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).
Catherine Carlson, a senior vice president with the Eagles, discussed the NFL team's partnership with LifeBrand, a brand protection firm specializing in social media health checks.
Hark Audio founder and CEO Don Mackinnon spoke to Cheddar about changing the user experience with podcasts through the company's curated Harklists.
Gemini, a popular cryptocurrency exchange, released a report this month looking at the crypto habits of 3,000 U.S. adults.
Disneyland has reopened after a 13-month closure. The iconic theme park in Southern California that was closed under the state's strict virus rules swung open its gates Friday and some visitors came in cheering and screaming with happiness.
An overnight stampede in Israel kills dozens, a look at the COVID disaster in Latin America, the economic repositioning in America, a new shortage to report and did people really answer the phone without Caller ID?
Singer-songwriter Kelly Rowland talked with Cheddar about her family, celebrating Black joy, and music in a, hopefully, post-COVID world.
Popular dance-fitness system Zumba turns 20 years old, and CEO Alberto Perlman talked to Cheddar about navigating the pandemic and looking forward to the return of more in-person instruction.
The headlines from President Biden's first speech to Congress, plus why he's got reason to be sounding optimistic about the state of the pandemic. And would you let a Walmart worker stock your fridge?
Siobhán Lonergan, chief brand officer for shapewear marketplace Shapermint, joined Cheddar to discuss the company's search for a "chief mom officer."
Justin and Taylor Norris, co-founders and CEOs of LIT Method, talked about the investment from Jay-Z in their fitness company.
