The Kroger Co. pulled the plug on its Ship service, which was the home delivery for its third-party products. Kroger stopped selling third-party items as of March 2025 as per the update on its FAQ page. Kroger Ship is its direct-to-consumer online marketplace that once allowed customers to purchase groceries and products from third-party sellers.
There has been no official statement explaining the decision for Kroger’s online delivery shutdown or the specific factors that led to its discontinuation. The website also confirms that third-party product listings were removed and sales stopped as of March 2025.
Kroger Ship service ends
All the Kroger customers are now directed to use the company’s pick-up and delivery services instead, though no reason was given for the shutdown. Kroger Ship operated similarly to Walmart’s delivery service, bringing orders to customers’ doors through carriers like FedEx and UPS.
While Kroger stops Ship program, the company continues to offer grocery delivery and pickup through its traditional services.
About Kroger home delivery service
In 2018, the Kroger Co. introduced Kroger Ship as an online shopping and delivery service. The Kroger Ship allowed customers to buy a wider variety of products delivered directly to their homes.
In 2020, The Kroger Co. expanded the service by adding third-party delivery where sellers offer their products through the platform. Kroger was aiming to increase product variety beyond groceries. This it was the company’s strategy to fight rising competition and changing consumer demands.
Kroger’s desire to diversify
Kroger introduced the third party seller in an effort to diversify its offerings in response to increasing competition from Amazon, Walmart, and other e-commerce giants.
By 2022, Kroger added a selection of home and baby products sourced from retailers like Bed Bath & Beyond and Buybuy Baby. This was to potion itself as a more comprehensive online marketplace.
Kroger, which owns brand names including Ralph’s, King Soopers, Fred Meyer’s and others, did not respond to a request for comment on, May 18.
Meanwhile, other retailers are also rolling out changes with Walmart warning customers they will all be impacted by the end of the month as another grocer introduces a strict bag policy.
Customer complaints for Kroger
Kroger has been slammed by customers for failing them both in-store and at-home. Shoppers have issued a warning to the retailer telling it to “do better” or lose profits to rivals. There has been an increase in complaints especially due to end of Kroger Ship service end with lack of explanation or reason for the closure. Customers have reported negative experiences with self-checkout, and overcharging.
