CINCINNATI — Kroger Co. plans to expand its Kroger Ship service to include more than 50,000 new items via a marketplace of third-party sellers. The expanded service, which is expected to launch this fall, will be powered by Mirakl, a software platform that specializes in digital marketplaces

“Our customers are increasingly turning to our e-commerce solutions provided at Kroger.com for their grocery and household essential needs,” said Jody Kalmbach, group vice president of product experience at Kroger. “To better serve our customers, we’re continuing to invest in technology that enables us to expand our digital services to deliver anything, anytime, anywhere. Leveraging Mirakl’s best-in-class marketplace solution, we are broadening Kroger’s ship-to-home capabilities by offering more relevant products for our customers through exciting new partnerships with reputable third-party sellers.”

Kroger Ship launched in August 2018 to offer shoppers a way to get nonperishable items — from vitamins and personal care items to household goods and office supplies — shipped to their homes. As with third-party marketplaces operated by Amazon.com and Walmart, Kroger’s new marketplace will allow the retailer to dramatically expand its offerings across multiple categories, including natural and organic, international food, specialty items, housewares and toys.

“Kroger has long been a retail giant, and by integrating an online marketplace into its leading eCommerce experience, Kroger is continuing to lead from the front,” said Mirakl co-founder and CEO Adrien Nussenbaum. “It’s clearer than ever that digital marketplaces are the foundation of the next generation of commerce, and we look forward to supporting Kroger as it takes advantage of this opportunity.”

Kroger noted that its marketplace shoppers will be able to earn loyalty rewards like fuel points on eligible orders. The retailer said that its strategic investments in e-commerce technology and channels over the past two and half years under Restock Kroger have positioned the company to more effectively respond to the sustained, increased demand for delivery, pickup and ship-to-home orders during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Kroger’s first-quarter 2020 results, its digital sales grew 92%.

“The expansion of our Kroger Ship platform will continue to bring together our industry-leading customer insights and merchandising data to offer our customers a digital shopping experience that includes staples available in our physical stores as well as products that are exclusive to Kroger.com,” said Stuart Aitken, Kroger’s senior vice president and chief merchant and marketing officer. “As part of our continuing transformation, we look forward to accelerating the development of our e-commerce platform and providing our customers with even more choices.”