CINCINNATI -- The Kroger Co. on Wednesday confirmed plans for a Downtown technology hub that will start with about 600 jobs this summer and grow to more than 1,000 employees in the next three years.
The Digital HQ will start with 100 jobs that will move from Kroger's corporate headquarters on Vine Street to 221 East Fourth Street. Those employees will be joined by about 500 digital employees who now work in Blue Ash.
"We decided to locate Kroger's Digital HQ here because we love Cincinnati," said CEO Rodney McMullen. "We believe growing our digital team here will support Cincinnati becoming a destination for digital and tech talent."
As WCPO reported in 2013, Kroger already has emerged as a magnet for tech talent with more than 2,000 employees working on hundreds of technology projects, from data-marketing strategies to in-store tools for tracking customer flow, managing energy and enabling do-it-yourself scanners for customers who don't want to wait for a cashier.
Those projects will increase in the coming years as Kroger builds a national network of automated fulfillment centers to process online grocery orders for home delivery.
"Kroger is creating a seamless shopping environment so customers can choose how to engage with us, both in-store and online," said Yael Cosset, Kroger's chief digital officer, in a press release. "Our new Digital HQ is an important step in our journey."
