*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).
Amgen Foundation is doubling down on its support for virtual education platform Khan Academy with a $3 million grant.
Play Ball! Today is Major League Baseball's opening day. President Trump orders the deployment of federal law enforcement agents to more U.S. cities. Tesla's stock is up 280% this year. And Kim Kardashian West has broken her silence on her husband's recent public comments.
The poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that only about 1 in 10 Americans say daycare centers, preschools and K-12 schools should start the school year like any other.
Sneakermakers, Jesse Tran and Son Chu created the sneaker line, Rens, where products are made from recycled coffee grounds.
Here are the headlines you Need2Know for Wednesday, July 22, 2020.
As the coronavirus pandemic drags on, a new poll from NORC at the University of Chicago finds it's having different effects on Americans’ economic well-being.
Oxford University announced that its vaccine trial with AstraZeneca is showing promising results. Congress is back in session and lawmakers are debating another stimulus package. What we know so far on the shooting of Judge Esther Salas's family. And SNL could be returning to the studio in the fall.
Former Education Secretary Margaret Spellings talks about the chaos around the issues of reopening schools amid the pandemic.
Hundreds of workers are rallying outside the Trump International Hotel in Manhattan and the Massachusetts Statehouse to protest systemic racism and economic inequality.
No one can go to concerts, so it seems they've decided to make their own music. Searches for and purchases of musical instruments and music editing software have been increasing during the coronavirus crisis.
