Kroger Brings Autonomous Drones Into Its Freezer Distribution Operations

Kroger has deployed Corvus One for Cold Chain drones across its ambient and sub-freezing distribution operations, the companies confirmed in early March 2026. The system autonomously scans pallet locations across freezer zones, generating weekly facility-wide inventory visibility in environments where manual cycle counts have historically been the primary means of tracking stock positions.

Andrew Burer, head of marketing at Corvus Robotics, told Supply Chain Dive that the deployment reduces the frequency of manual counts in sub-freezing environments while supporting shrink control, FIFO compliance, and data reliability for short shelf-life goods. Burer described the Kroger engagement as progressing across multiple phases, from initial validation into full operational deployment. He was unable to comment on which Kroger facilities are using the system, fleet size per site, or long-term rollout timelines.

The Corvus One for Cold Chain system operates in environments down to minus-20 degrees Fahrenheit without WiFi, localization markers, lighting modifications, special barcodes, or a human operator, according to Corvus Robotics. The drones require no infrastructure modifications and connect directly into existing warehouse systems. Corvus CEO Jackie Wu told Refrigerated & Frozen Foods in February 2026 that bringing the system to cold chain required re-architecting thermal management, sensing, flight stability, and onboard perception to sustain performance despite frost, glare, airflow, and extreme temperature swings.

The deployment comes as Kroger pursues a broader set of technology investments across its distribution and store operations. During the company’s Q1 FY2025 earnings call in June 2025, CFO David Kennerly cited AI-enabled inventory tools as a contributor to shrink reductions across fresh and center-store categories, noting that the investments give Kroger better visibility of in-store inventory including best-by dates. The company’s FIFO gross margin rate, excluding adjustments, increased 79 basis points in the first quarter of fiscal 2025, with lower shrink among the contributing factors, according to Kroger’s earnings materials.

The drone program arrives as Kroger works through a significant reconfiguration of its fulfillment infrastructure. In November 2025, the company announced the closure of three Ocado-powered Customer Fulfillment Centers in Pleasant Prairie, Wis.; Frederick, Md.; and Groveland, Fla., incurring approximately $2.6 billion in impairment charges and paying Ocado a $350 million separation fee. Interim CEO Ron Sargent said at the time that Kroger can deliver orders in under two hours from 97% of its 2,700 U.S. stores, and that its store network is the company’s most important fulfillment asset.

Autonomous drone deployments for inventory management have been gaining traction across the logistics industry more broadly. Maersk deployed Verity drones for warehouse inventory tracking in 2023. Sportswear brand On and UPS have also used Verity drones for stock management and inventory process improvement. Corvus Robotics serves customers in non-cold chain environments including Asics, ArmorAll, and GNC, according to the company’s website.

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