Is Kroger Delivery ending in Orlando? Kroger closing Lake County fulfillment center

Kroger closing Lake County fulfillment center

Kroger confirmed it is closing its fulfillment center in Groveland, Florida, one of three fulfillment center closures nationwide.

Is Kroger Delivery ending its grocery delivery services in Orlando?

Users reported receiving notices on Tuesday that Kroger Delivery service was suspended in Orlando. It coincides with an announcement that Kroger would close three of its delivery fulfillment centers, including a large one in Groveland, Florida.

Kroger closing some of its fulfillment centers

What we know:

In a news release, Kroger confirmed that it was closing three of its fulfillment centers across the nation:

Groveland, Florida
Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
Frederick, Maryland

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Residents received notice that Kroger Delivery is ending in their area after Kroger announced the closing of a fulfillment center in Groveland, Fla.

When will Kroger Delivery end? When will the fulfillment centers close?

All three are expected to close in January 2026, though a specific date was not revealed, Kroger said, adding that the three centers were not meeting its financial expectations.

In a letter sent to Kroger customers, Kroger said delivery will be ending on Feb. 1 and delivery orders can still be received through Jan. 31.

"The company expects to incur impairment and related charges in the third fiscal quarter of 2025 of approximately $2.6 billion," the company said in a Nov. 18 press release. The automated fulfillment network is not meeting financial expectations, Kroger said.

The closure of these fulfillment centers comes after Kroger announced closing 60 stores nationwide in 18 months. In areas where Kroger sees a "higher density of demand," automated customer fulfillment will continue, the company said.

How many people will lose their jobs?

FOX 35 reached out to Kroger for clarification on the closures and the impact to Central Florida, but did not receive a response to those specific questions.

However, the City of Groveland said in its own release that roughly 1,400 people worked at the fulfillment center there.

City of Groveland: 1,400 jobs lost due to Kroger closure

The city of Groveland said they haven't heard when, in 2026, the facility will close.

"This is an especially difficult time for employees to hear this news and our hearts go out to those affected. There are approximately 1,400 Kroger employees at the facility, many of whom are Groveland residents," the city said in a statement.

Groveland is working with CareerSource Central Florida to support its employment strategy, the city said.

What we don't know:

It's not known how the closing of Groveland's Kroger fulfillment center will impact the delivery of Kroger groceries to Central Florida residents.

Kroger touted its new partnerships with InstaCart and DoorDash. However, Kroger does not have any physical grocery stores in Florida, so it's unclear how that program would work.

FOX 35 reached out for clarification.

Expanding partnership with Instacart, Doordash, more

Kroger will now use Instacart for its primary delivery across Kroger.com and the Kroger app, the company said Nov. 18.

The grocer announced its expanded partnership with Instacart in Nov. 2025, saying it's one of the first retailers to use Instacart's AI Assistant - Cart Assistant – an AI assistant that helps customers find meal inspiration, build carts faster with favorite items, and plan meals more easily.

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Additionally, "to reach more customers and fulfill more shopping trips," Kroger said its customers will also have on-demand access to food and grocery essentials through DoorDash Marketplace.

The backstory:

Kroger's Customer Fulfillment Center in Groveland opened in 2021. The center is an automated warehouse facility with digital and robotic capabilities, also known as a "shed."

The Groveland CFC is located at U.S. Highway 27 and American Way and occupies 375,000 square feet.

Kroger CFCs are in partnership with the Ocado Group. Kroger currently has eight CFCs, with two new sites in Charlotte and Phoenix to start in 2026, the Ocado Group said. The company plans to build 20 CFCs nationwide.

Additionally, Kroger's spoke facilities extend the grocer's reach from fulfillment centers to other areas. As of 2022, Kroger delivers groceries to Atlanta, Cincinnati and Dallas, Austin, Birmingham, Cleveland, Oklahoma City, Orlando, San Antonio, South Florida, and the Northeast.

Kroger and Ocado's new customer fulfillment center – an automated warehouse facility with digital and robotic capabilities, also known as a "shed". (PRNewsfoto/The Kroger Co.)

What is Kroger's eCommerce?

Kroger looks to multiple third-party delivery services to increase its e-commerce sales growth, projecting an operating profit of approximately $400 million in 2026.

"eCommerce remains a core part of serving customers who want better value, wide selection and flexible ways to shop," said Ron Sargent, Kroger's chairman and CEO. "We are building on a strong foundation with five consecutive quarters of double-digit eCommerce sales growth and increased profitability improvements. We are taking decisive action to make shopping easier, offer faster delivery times, provide more options to our customers, and we expect to deliver profitable sales growth as a result."

The grocer's launched its eCommerce business unit in March.

Kroger's senior vice president and chief information officer, Yael Cosset, serves as the executive vice president and chief digital officer of the eCommerce business unit.

"Every customer is different, and they expect more options to access fresh, affordable food, without compromising on the value or convenience," Yael Cosset said of the opportunity to increase customer traffic and trips through these third-party providers. "Our differentiated approach, combining the proximity of our stores with high-capacity automation, the wide assortment of the fresh food they love, allows us to fulfill more trips for the families we serve. Being able to deliver food and groceries to tens of millions of families who shop with us every year, in as little as 30 minutes is a winning model for Kroger and our customers."

(FOX 35 Orlando)

Uber Eats Marketplace + Kroger coming in early 2026

In early 2026, Kroger said it plans to launch a customer experience with Uber Eats Marketplace – adding Kroger to the list of participating grocers – including Costco, Sprouts and Target – associated with Uber Eats Marketplace.