Question: How can a giant supermarket chain expand into Florida with no actual supermarkets?

Answer: When you are Kroger, the nation’s second-largest grocer, and you can build a next-day delivery service operating out of three regional spoke facilities and a customer fulfillment center in Central Florida.

Though it launched its South Florida service in Miami in May, Kroger Delivery has been gradually expanding its delivery territory north into Broward, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties.

This week, the company mailed out fliers in South Florida offering $15 off customers’ first three delivery orders — a total of $45 in potential savings. The discount, also available from the company’s website Kroger.com, is intended to get customers acquainted with the service by offsetting the normal $9.95 per-order delivery fee.

In this screenshot from a Kroger promotional video, a refrigerated Kroger Delivery vehicle pulls up to a Florida home to deliver online orders shipped from the company's customer service center in Groveland, 30 miles west of Orlando. (Courtesy Kroger Delivery)

Customers can also buy a yearly “Boost” membership for $59 and get free delivery of orders $35 and over.

Kroger introduced its delivery service in Florida last year after opening a 375,000-square-foot customer fulfillment center in Groveland, about 30 miles west of Orlando. It also built spoke facilities in Jacksonville and Tampa for transfer of goods from semi trucks to refrigerated delivery trucks. Its third spoke facility was opened this summer in Opa-Locka to serve South Florida customers.

About 1,100 workers have been hired for the venture, including 700 at the Groveland center, nicknamed The Hive. Inside, about 1,000 wheeled robots move goods across the facility.

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Kroger offers the next-day delivery service within 90 miles of its spoke facilities — type your address into their website to find out if you’re in a delivery zone. Customers can select hour-long windows for delivery between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. the following day. They’ll get an email about 30 minutes before the delivery truck arrives at their house.

The service competes with others, including Walmart’s InHome service, Publix and partner Instacart, and Amazon Prime, which delivers groceries from Whole Foods.

Kroger’s competitors, however, offer same-day deliveries. The absence of brick-and-mortar stores means Kroger’s South Florida customers have to wait for many of the goods they order to be shipped from the Orlando-area customer fulfillment center to their regional spokes before going out for delivery.

Kroger is hoping that its competitive grocery prices and low delivery fee make up for the fact that customers have to wait overnight for their orders.

In this screenshot from a Kroger promotional video, a worker helps fill online orders at the company's new customer fulfillment center in Groveland, 30 miles west of Orlando, for next-day delivery in the company's Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa or South Florida delivery markets. (Courtesy Kroger Delivery)

The service also offers housewares and a rewards program that provides discounts for fuel at participating gas stations.

The delivery service marks Kroger’s second attempt to gain a foothold in the Florida grocery market.

In 2016, the company announced a major investment in Boulder, Colorado-based Lucky’s Market, a modestly priced organic grocery chain that opened 21 stores in Florida before Kroger divested in December 2019, forcing Lucky’s to close all of its Florida stores and declare bankruptcy.

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The Cheesecake Factory is coming to Promenade at Coconut Creek. Construction is set to begin this fall on a 9,100 square foot restaurant, plus outdoor seating, in the spaces formerly occupied by Banana Republic and Charming Charlie.

It will be the chain’s 10th tricounty location and 18th statewide.

This handout photo shows an unidentified location of the popular eatery The Cheesecake Factory. A new one is coming to Promenade at Coconut Creek. Construction is set to begin this fall, the Promenade announced this week. (Courtesy The Cheesecake Factory)

Simon, owner of Sawgrass Mills and Town Center at Boca Raton, are inviting customers to sample the latest beauty products, trends and services during “Beauty Week,” running Sept. 4-10.

Consumers will find special offers, how-to demonstrations and engaging activities, according to a news release. This year’s event will focus on wellness.

Participating retailers at Town Center at Boca Raton include Sephora, Lush, and Free People Movement.

At Sawgrass Mills, participants include L’Occitane, Clarins, The Cosmetics Company Store, Reebok and Under Armour.

Fort Lauderdale-based Apocalypse Manufacturing, which converts 4x4 trucks into 6x6 beasts, has upgraded the look of its latest conversion project.

Introduced in April, the company’s “Dark Horse” Ford Bronco 6x6 has been given a new matte-finish paint treatment that gives it a rugged, “armored” appearance.

Ford Lauderdale-based Apocalypse Manufacturing shows off a new paint scheme that makes its Dark Horse Ford Bronco 6x6 conversion truck look more fierce than ever. (Courtesy Apocalypse Manufacturing)

The company takes the popular SUVs, adds two more wheels, upgrades their engines, and creates vehicles “poised to take on a post-nuclear world” while “durable enough to deflect any projectile that launches its way during an off-road excursion,” according to a recent news release.

What began as an 189-inch-long SUV became a 225-inch pickup truck. Its factory turbocharged V-6 engine was given a software tune-up, larger injectors and a full exhaust upgrade that delivers 400 horsepower and “a distinctive snarl.” And a middle axle is added to create a true six-wheel drive.

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It can be yours starting at a mere $179,999.

The shop has sold more than 200 vehicles around the world and has been recently featured in the movie The Lost City and twice on the TV series Jay Leno’s Garage.

To see the Dark Horse and other creations such as the Doomsday, HellFire and Sinister 6, go to www.apocalypse6x6.com or visit one of the shop’s showrooms at 665 NW 4th Ave., Fort Lauderdale or 2720 Okeechobee Road, West Palm Beach.

DHL, an international express shipper, has opened a pop-up shop at the Cypress Creek Station shopping center in Fort Lauderdale.

The 2,200 square-foot mobile unit, powered completely by solar energy, was brought to the shopping center in response to increased demand from the local community for international shipping, the company said.

International shipper DHL has located this pop-up service kiosk at the Coconut Creek Station to address what the company says is increased demand by South Florida residents for international shipping services. (Courtesy DHL)

In addition to shipping to 220 countries and territories, the kiosk will stock shipping supplies like bubble wrap, packaging tape and boxes.

The shopping center is located at the corner of Cypress Creek Road and North Andrews Avenue.

Rebag, buyer and seller of used luxury items, is opening a Broward County location at Sawgrass Mills. The chain, located in California, Connecticut, New York and Florida, deals in handbags, shoes, jewelry, watches, apparel and small leather goods.

In a news release, Rebag said it will be the first reseller at Sawgrass Mills and will offer sought-after luxury items from more than 75 designers including Hermès, Chanel, Gucci, Prada, and Dior.

Rebag, a buyer and seller of used luxury goods, is opening in Sawgrass Mills on Thursday, Sept. 1. The company specializes in goods by companies like Hermès, Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Dior and more. (Courtesy Rebag)

Ron Hurtibise covers business and consumer issues for the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Send him your retail news at rhurtibise@sun-sentinel.com. Make sure to type Retail Roundup in the subject line of your email.