Walmart is taking another big step in drone delivery, expanding the service to five new U.S. cities: Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa. With this move, Walmart becomes the first retailer to scale drone delivery across five states—Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas.
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Walmart said the new expansion will bring ultra-fast delivery to millions of customers. The drones can deliver thousands of products, including groceries, over-the-counter medicine, and household items, in 30 minutes or less.
“As we look ahead, drone delivery will remain a key part of our commitment to redefining retail,” said Greg Cathey, Senior Vice President of Walmart U.S. Transformation and Innovation. “This expansion of our drone delivery service marks a significant milestone in that journey.”
The service will launch at 100 Walmart stores, adding to existing operations in Northwest Arkansas and Dallas-Fort Worth. Walmart is partnering with drone provider Wing, which flies drones within FAA guidelines at a range of up to six miles from stores.
“This is real drone delivery at scale,” said Adam Woodworth, CEO of Wing. “People all around the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex have made drone delivery part of their normal shopping habits over the past year. Now we’re excited to share this ultra-fast delivery experience with millions more people.”
Since starting drone delivery in 2021, Walmart has completed over 150,000 drone deliveries for everything from fresh fruit to pet food to COVID tests.
“We’re pushing the boundaries of convenience to better serve our customers, making shopping faster and easier than ever before,” added Cathey.