Kroger Instinct

Validating a 0→1 automated grocery experience

A Different Kind of Team

Neon-style illustration on a dark blue brick wall showing a glowing smartphone outline with the letters “KEA” at the top. Inside the phone, a rocket launches upward, featuring a pineapple as the rocket body.

The eCommerce Accelerator operated as a test-and-learn innovation lab, focused on rapidly validating new business opportunities.

  • Built fully functional MVPs (not prototypes)

  • Launched quickly to real users

  • Measured success through learning, not just metrics

  • Delivered clear outcomes: scale, iterate, or sunset

Idea → MVP → Live Pilot → Learn → Decision

The Problem

Illustration of a frustrated and tired woman going through the cycle of planning her meals for the week, creating a grocery list, placing an online order for the groceries then doing it all over again.
Illustration of a frustrated and tired woman going through the cycle of planning her meals for the week, creating a grocery list, placing an online order for the groceries then doing it all over again.

Customers found grocery shopping time-consuming and mentally taxing:

  • What do I want to eat this week for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks?

  • What do I need to have to execute those meals? How much do I need? What do I already have in my fridge and pantry?goes here

  • What brand do I buy? Is this item in stock? Does it come in the size I need?

“Couldn’t this just be done for me?”

Opportunity

~70% of grocery purchases repeat weekly

💡 Opportunity to automate routine decisions

🧠 Reduce cognitive load and increase convenience

What We Needed to Learn

Are users willing to give up control?

Can we accurately predict orders?

Does to experience build trust?

Is there enough desirability to invest?

My Role

  • Co-defined product concept and strategy

  • Led end-to-end UX/UI design

  • Translated ambiguity into a testable product

  • Balanced speed vs. quality for rapid learning

  • Partnered cross-functionally across Product, Engineering, Data, Research

From Idea → Live Pilot

May ‘21

  • Ran discovery sprint

  • Generated and tested 10 concepts

  • Selected automated grocery as the strongest opportunity

Slide showing Kroger Instinct app concept with a phone mockup and a stat that 56% of users would likely use the product.

Aug ‘21 – Feb ‘22

  • Designed MVP experience

  • Focused on core behaviors over polish

  • Rapid iteration cycles

Delivery scheduling wire frame asking for preferred delivery day and date selection.

Mar – Apr ‘22

  • Launched to real users

  • Observed behavior in real-world context

  • Gathered continuous feedback

Final delivery scheduling desktop screen asking for preferred delivery day and date selection with a bowl of fresh berries.

May ‘22

  • Delivered learnings to business

  • Informed future strategy

Slide summarizing key research findings and next steps for the Kroger Instinct product.

Designing the Automated Grocery Flow

Onboarding

  • Captured essential inputs only

  • Balanced effort vs. personalization

Predictive Order

  • Generated weekly order using data

  • Reduced planning effort

Modify Order

  • Limited edits (quantity only)

  • Tested need for control

Feedback Loop

  • Enabled real-time feedback

  • Supported ML + trust building

  • Included unenroll + refunds

What We Had to Balance

⚖️ Control vs. Convenience
How much autonomy is acceptable?

🔍 Transparency
Do users understand what’s happening?

🔄 Flexibility
Can users adjust when needed?

How We Tested

Qualitative

  1. Live moderated sessions

  2. Real-time user feedback channel

  3. Post-order interviews

Quantitative

  1. Retention Rates

  2. Unenrollment

  3. Refund behavior

What We Learned

Key Takeaways

  • Users are open to automation—with the right level of control

  • Trust is the biggest barrier to adoption

  • Transparency is critical in predictive systems

  • Rapid experimentation reduces product risk

Why This Mattered

  • Validated a new product opportunity

  • Informed long-term strategy

  • Reduced uncertainty before large investment

Final Reflection

This project demonstrated how product design can extend beyond execution into strategic decision-making. By rapidly testing a 0→1 concept with real users, we were able to validate a new opportunity space and guide the business with confidence.