Walmart brings drone delivery to five new markets
Walmart is expanding the range of its U.S. drone delivery program in a big way.
The discount giant is now offering its drone delivery service in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando and Tampa. This move makes Walmart the first retailer to scale drone delivery across five states: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Texas.
The new drone service will launch at 100 stores, building on existing operations in Northwest Arkansas and Dallas-Fort Worth. Walmart provides drone delivery through an agreement with Wing, an on-demand drone delivery provider powered by Google’s parent company Alphabet.
Wing operates within FAA guidelines, flying their drones beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) up to a six-mile aircraft range from the store.
Walmart initially launched drone-based deliveries from three stores in Northwest Arkansas in late 2021, then expanded a partnership it launched with Wing for drone delivery in the Dallas-Fort Worth market in August 2023.
In June 2024, Walmart began notifying customers in Dallas-Fort Worth of the new capability to place drone delivery orders through in app if they are eligible for the service based on the address associated with their account.
[READ MORE: Walmart integrates drone delivery in app]
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Walmart drones coming in for landing. -
Walmart adds U.S. drone delivery markets.
Earlier this year, drone provider Zipline launched its first-ever site for its P2 drone model at Walmart stores in Mesquite and Waxahachie, Texas, offering a delivery experience that Walmart says is quieter than the average delivery truck.
"As we look ahead, drone delivery will remain a key part of our commitment to redefining retail," said Greg Cathey, senior VP of Walmart U.S. transformation and innovation. "We’re pushing the boundaries of convenience to better serve our customers, making shopping faster and easier than ever before. This expansion of our drone delivery service marks a significant milestone in that journey.”
Customers in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando and Tampa can sign up on Wing’s website to be notified when drone delivery becomes available in their area. Since launching drone delivery in 2021, Walmart says it has completed more than 150,000 deliveries within minutes.
"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 across many more U.S. cities."
Based in Bentonville, Ark., Walmart operates 10,750 stores and numerous e-commerce websites in 19 countries.
