Driving Off-Property Ecommerce Through Design Strategy

Background & Context

Customers were shopping in more places, so Kroger wanted to meet them on retail aggregators like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Instacart. Off-property processes were fragmented, which meant inconsistent customer experiences and wasted effort. We needed one playbook that could scale execution while protecting brand and commerce quality.

Mission & Goals

The mission was a complete off-property ecommerce strategy and playbook that delivers consistent, high-quality experiences across third-party models and drives measurable business results. The goals were to expand Kroger's digital footprint, meet customers where they are on aggregators, keep the brand consistent and compliant across partners, speed up workflows with fewer errors, and improve the customer experience through better design and usability.

Objectives

Build a design framework that scales and adapts across models. Create standard templates and guidelines for listings, imagery, and promotions. Line up design decisions with business and technical needs through cross-functional work. Build KPIs into the playbook to track adoption and performance.

Role & Contributions

As Senior Product Designer I led design strategy and execution for the playbook. I audited existing off-property experiences to find gaps and inconsistencies. I designed modular, reusable templates that balance brand integrity with partner specs. I ran stakeholder workshops to agree on principles and usability standards, and partnered with product managers and engineers so implementation went smoothly. Then I organized teams to put the playbook to work through model-specific play cards.

What It Delivered

The playbook gave us consistency, with one visual language across off-property models. Reusable templates and clear workflows cut time to market. The framework is flexible enough for new partnerships and requirements. Clearer, easier-to-use listings increased engagement.

Key Unlocks

APIs and frictionless checkout point to smoother integration and less friction for customers. AI and connected devices look like the next opportunities for personalization and automation.

Process Design, Measurement & Staffing

We defined inbound and outbound workflows, set KPIs for adoption, engagement, and operational efficiency, and created staffing models for partner-driven requests and Kroger-led initiatives. That kept us agile at scale.

Metrics & Outcomes

• Adoption: 100% implementation of the playbook across identified off-property models in the first quarter.
• Operational efficiency: 30% reduction in design and content turnaround time.
• Engagement: 15% increase in click-through rates on off-property listings.
• Stakeholder feedback: positive, with people citing better clarity and easier execution.

Lessons Learned & What's Next

Bring cross-functional partners in early and alignment comes faster. A scalable design system is a must when you manage this many models. Keep iterating on performance data.

Next: evolve the playbook with AI-driven personalization, connected devices, and whatever partners can do next.