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Walmart Expands Drone Delivery to Millions More
Walmart is significantly expanding its drone delivery service, aiming to reach customers in 100 stores across Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa within the next year. This move will bring the service to a total of five states: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas.
Customers can order items through the Wing app, Walmart’s drone delivery partner, with deliveries possible within a six-mile radius of participating stores. This initiative is part of Walmart’s broader strategy to compete on convenience, complementing existing services like Express Delivery and InHome.
Walmart executives say customer demand is driving the expansion. Greg Cathey, senior vice president of Walmart U.S. transformation and innovation, noted that drone deliveries are popular for quickly needed items, such as groceries and over-the-counter medications. Deliveries typically take 30 minutes or less, and over half of the items available in a typical Walmart store are eligible for drone delivery.
While the company aims for ambitious growth, its drone delivery history has seen some turbulence. Previous plans for wider drone coverage haven’t fully materialized, and a recent software issue temporarily halted service in some areas. Despite these challenges, Walmart reports over 150,000 drone deliveries since 2021 and currently operates 21 drone delivery sites in Arkansas and Texas.
Kieran Shanahan, chief operating officer of Walmart U.S., emphasized the company’s focus on providing flexible and convenient delivery options for customers. Drone delivery is currently free through the Wing app. However, Walmart is piloting a delivery fee of $19.99 within its own app (free for Walmart+ members) in the Dallas area.