Kroger, Microsoft partner to develop connected grocery stores

Washington, Jan 8 (IANS) To take on Amazon, leading American grocery retailer Kroger and Microsoft have partnered to redefine the customer experience using Kroger technology products powered by Microsoft Azure Cloud. Through this innovative partnership, Kroger will pilot a connected store experience and together with Microsoft, jointly market a commercial Retail as a Service (RaaS) product to the industry, the company said in a statement late Monday. "Our partnership brings together Kroger's world-class expertise in the grocery industry with the power of Azure and Azure AI," said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. "Together, we will redefine the shopping experience for millions of customers at both Kroger and other retailers around the world, setting a new standard for innovation in the industry," he added. The Kroger Technology team has developed a smart technology system, powered by Microsoft Azure and connected by IoT sensors, to transform two pilot stores located in Monroe, Ohio and Redmond, Washington, respectively. Both stores will feature technology such as digital pricing signage which will provide consumers with richer data. "Kroger is building a seamless ecosystem driven by data and technology to provide our customers with personalised food inspiration. We are excited to collaborate with Microsoft to redefine grocery retail,a said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman and CEO. Amazon has also been testing connected cashier-less stores in the US.