DELIVERY DOWNER: Kroger responds to angry customers forced to wait for groceries and it’s ‘not the first time’
According to The Sun, Kroger has addressed the frustrations of shoppers who have experienced delays with their grocery deliveries, a recurring issue throughout the year. The retailer’s same-day delivery service is a significant perk for customers, allowing them to place orders online or through the Kroger mobile app, with groceries delivered to their door within a chosen time window.
Customer Complaints About Late Deliveries
However, numerous customers have reported that their orders have arrived hours later than promised in recent months. This issue persisted on Tuesday, when two customers expressed their dissatisfaction on social media about missed delivery windows, indicating it was not their first experience with such delays.
Eddie Qualls, one dissatisfied customer, took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice his concerns. “WTH? @kroger this makes two days in a row my order for Kroger delivery is very late,” he wrote, adding that he was told his order would be delayed by seven to eight hours.
Kroger responded swiftly to Eddie’s complaint, apologizing for the inconvenience and encouraging him to send a direct message (DM) with his loyalty card number for further assistance. “Hi Eddie! We’re sorry to hear about this. Please send us a DM and provide us your loyalty card number or alternate ID so that we can further assist,” the official Kroger account replied.
Ongoing Delivery Issues
Another customer, Corey, shared his frustration in a separate post on October 1. He warned others against using Kroger delivery unless they were available all day to wait for their orders. Corey reported that he had placed an order scheduled for delivery between 11 am and noon but was later informed that it would not arrive until after 1:30 pm.
Kroger again issued an apology, stating, “This is not the experience we want for our customers to have.” Like with Eddie, they requested Corey’s loyalty card number and order information via direct message, promising to resolve the issue.
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In addition to complaints about late deliveries, some customers have reported being overcharged by approximately $100 for their orders, while others claimed they faced thousands in overcharges without receiving the correct items. There were also accusations that deliveries were sent to the wrong addresses.
Kroger’s Merger Plans Under Scrutiny
As Kroger navigates customer complaints, the company is also dealing with ongoing scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding its proposed merger with Albertsons. The $24.6 billion deal, confirmed in 2022, has faced a swift lawsuit from the FTC due to antitrust concerns.
The commission argues that the merger would lead to higher prices for American shoppers and a decline in product quality, diminishing healthy competition in the supermarket industry. During court hearings held in September, Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen contended that merging would allow the company to lower prices. “The day that we merge is the day that we will begin lowering prices,” he asserted while being questioned by an FTC attorney. “We know that pricing is going to continue to go down.”
In response to the FTC’s concerns, Kroger has committed to investing $1 billion in food cost-cutting measures and announced plans to divest 579 stores for $2.9 billion to C&S Wholesale Grocers in July.