Kroger can put groceries in every delivery app and still lose the customer relationship. Its DoorDash expansion brought nearly 2,700 stores’ full assortments to that app in October 2025. A month later, Kroger said nearly 2,700 stores would join Uber Eats starting in early 2026. Kroger also kept its own ordering channels.
The appeal is obvious: Kroger can sell groceries to customers who already open DoorDash or Uber Eats. I would hesitate to call that free reach. Each marketplace owns the ordering screen, charges for its service, and can put another grocer one scroll away. Kroger still has to pick the item, handle substitutions, and answer for a bruised peach.
The interesting test is whether these orders bring new households or shift existing Kroger customers into a more expensive channel. The press releases give store counts, not that answer. Kroger says it will work with DoorDash on retail media and customer insights, which suggests the relationship is about advertising and data as well as delivery.
I expect more grocers to sell through several apps. That alone does not prove stronger bargaining power or better work for couriers. It proves the customer can start a grocery order in more places. Kroger’s job is to make the second order worth more than the first cost to acquire.