Kroger Considering Acquiring Boxed

The Kroger Co. (Cincinnati) is reportedly considering acquiring online bulk grocery delivery service Boxed (New York) to add to its repertoire of digital services.

While Kroger has not confirmed the report or commented on the matter, Boxed has confirmed to Reuters and Forbes that it is reviewing its sale options to various potential buyers, including Target (Minneapolis), Costco (Issaquah, Wash.) and Aldi (Essen, Germany), reports USA Today. Sources note that Boxed intends to sell for somewhere between $325 million and $500 million.

The purchase would be a boon for Kroger, which seeks to compete with the delivery services of Amazon (Seattle) and Whole Foods Market (Austin, Texas), as well as Walmart (Bentonville, Ark.) and Jet.com (New York), both of which merged last year.