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Kroger is now offering ClickList in Huntsville and Madison. (Courtesy)

Kroger is expanding its online ordering system just weeks after unveiling the service at a new grocery store in Madison.

The new Kroger on 4579 Wall Triana Highway was the first local store to offer ClickList, an online ordering service. (Courtesy)

The chain said the 7090 University Drive location is now offering ClickList, which allows shoppers to select the items they want online and arrange a pickup time at the store. The service debuted last month at the new Kroger on 4579 Wall Triana Highway.

Spokeswoman Melissa Eads told AL.com ClickList may be available at other North Alabama locations in the future.

"We do not have any more planned in the Huntsville area this year, but we continue to expand this service so would expect more stores to be added in the future," she said.

How does it work?

To place an order, Kroger customers must visit www.kroger.com/clicklist and create a shopping list. They then select a pick-up time and place the order.

A Kroger associate will handpick the order and place it in a temperature-controlled area, where it will be stored until the customer arrives. The employee later loads the order into the customer's vehicle in a designated pick-up lane outside the store.

Customers can place an online order with a computer or mobile phone and pay for it from their car. Kroger said coupons that are electronically linked to a customer's loyalty card will be redeemed automatically, while paper coupons will also be deducted at the time of pick-up.

If an item is not available in store, the Kroger associate will offer a substitution, which the customer may accept or decline. Pharmacy prescriptions are not included in the ClickList program.

Kroger is currently waiving the $4.95 ClickList service charge for each customer's first three online orders.

'Overwhelmingly positive'

The Ohio grocer isn't the first company to utilize online ordering and local pickup. Walmart, which has been testing a similar service in the Huntsville area since early 2015, recently launched a store, fuel station and drive-thru for online grocery pickup on 7520 U.S. 72 West.

Last fall, Birmingham-based Shipt began offering same-day grocery delivery from Publix stores in Huntsville and Madison. The expansion created more than 100 "shopper" positions to handpick and deliver orders to customers.

Kroger E-Commerce Manager Mark Abernethy said his company has been rapidly expanding ClickList for a couple of years and the feedback from customers has been "overwhelmingly positive."

"Senior citizens, parents with young children, and busy professionals all appreciate this new convenience," he said. "We are excited about continuing to grow this service in the Huntsville area."