Kroger’s Closure of Florida Delivery Operations Results in Layoffs for 181 Jacksonville Employees

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — In a significant move, Kroger is set to halt its delivery services in Florida starting January, a decision that will affect over 1,000 workers across the state.

The specific WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) filings indicate that the Jacksonville Fulfillment Center on the Northside will close, impacting 181 employees, primarily delivery drivers.

Additional notifications have been issued for other centers in Groveland, Orlando, Rockledge, and Tampa.

The Groveland main fulfillment center will see nearly 1,000 employees lose their jobs upon its closure, as outlined in the WARN notice dated November 18.

Kroger has stated that employees in Jacksonville will continue to receive their usual salaries and benefits and can begin looking for new jobs after January 6, once the delivery service ends. The company also noted that the affected workers are not part of a union.

The grocer said it made the decision for closures in multiple states after having “identified opportunities to optimize its fulfillment network.” It says the remaining facilities will continue to be monitored for performance. The company predicts the changes will cut costs and improve its eCommerce profitability by approximately $400 million in 2026.

“This will be used to improve the customer experience through lower prices and better store conditions while also improving operating margins,” Kroger said in a press release.

While reducing its automated delivery operations, the company says it has worked to improve access by expanding relationships with third-party providers like Instacart, DoorDash and Uber Eats.

“In geographies where Kroger sees higher density of demand, the company will continue to take advantage of automated customer fulfillment to increase customer engagement, capacity and improve productivity and profitability,” the company wrote.