Walmart Expands Fast, Convenient Drone Delivery to 5 More Cities

Walmart has expanded its drone delivery to five more cities, furthering its efforts to reshape the future of retail.

The retailer is continuing to elevate its customer shopping experience with the rapid growth of its drone delivery service. Shoppers in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa can now have their orders delivered in just minutes, thanks to this cutting-edge offering, per a press release.

These additional drop-offs mean that the retailer is now the first to operate drones in five states — in this case, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas. This new initiative highlights the company’s commitment to innovation, offering a faster, smarter way to shop that brings items straight from the store to the doorstep by air.

Greg Cathey, senior vice president of Walmart U.S. Transformation and Innovation, said in the press release, “As we look ahead, drone delivery will remain a key part of our commitment to redefining retail. We’re pushing the boundaries of convenience to better serve our customers, making shopping faster and easier than ever before.”

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Cathey added, “This expansion of our drone delivery service marks a significant milestone in that journey. As the first retailer to scale drone delivery, Walmart is once again demonstrating its commitment to leveraging technology to enhance our delivery offerings with a focus on speed.”

How Does Walmart’s Drone Delivery Service Work?

The new drone service will launch at 100 stores, thus expanding on Walmart’s current operations in Northwest Arkansas and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Partnering with drone provider Wing, Walmart continues to upgrade its services to make it easier than ever to get everyday essentials delivered quickly and safely.

Wing operates within FAA guidelines and flies its drones Beyond Visual Line of Sight. They can travel upwards of 6 miles from the point of store takeoff.

Walmart 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.

“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.”

Walmart first launched its drone delivery service in 2021. Over the past four years, Walmart has completed more than 150,000 dropoffs. The most frequently delivered drone products include pet food, fresh fruit, eggs, and ice cream.