By Matthew Berger, Director of Communications
Kroger opened its new 350,000-square-foot, e-commerce fulfillment center, bringing up to 1,200 jobs to Southern Dallas County.
The $55 million facility at 4221 Telephone Rd. is the fifth of its kind in the United States. Kroger partnered with Ocado, a U.K. based technology group, to create robots that fetch food from bins throughout the facility. A robot and a warehouse worker can fulfill a grocery order in as little as six minutes.
“We are talking about a multi-million-dollar investment in the southern part of Dallas,” said Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, who attended the event with select council members. “This is the type of development that is going to help our residents, create a bunch of jobs, and help our community become more vibrant and resilient. We’re thrilled about this.”
Kroger plans to expand to 22 fulfillment centers by the end of 2023.
Kroger will deliver groceries in a 90-mile radius of the facility, offering same-day delivery, which is crucial for residents living in food deserts. Once an order is fulfilled, a Kroger delivery person drops off the order in a refrigerated truck. The delivery person also takes recyclable bags back to the fulfillment center for reuse.
Currently, the facility has 400 robots and can operate with as many as 1,000 robots.
“We were so proud to open our Kroger delivery facility in Dallas,” said Erin Rolfes, Kroger’s Director of Corporate Communications and Media. “The amazing support from our regional partners was invaluable in bringing this project to life. We can’t wait to continue to bring our ‘Fresh for Everyone’ commitment to more families here, as well as in San Antonio, Austin, and Oklahoma City.”
Developments like Kroger’s e-commerce fulfillment center are further proof of Southern Dallas County’s versality.
“It’s exciting to see the opening of such an innovative facility in Southern Dallas,” said Duane Dankesreiter, the DRC’s Senior Vice President of Research and Innovation. “It proves once again what a great place Southern Dallas County is for companies to setup operations.”