Walmart announced on Thursday that it will expand its drone delivery services to 100 additional stores across Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa over the next year. The rollout will extend coverage to five states: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas.
Deliveries will be operated by Wing, a drone company partnered with Walmart, and will cover a six-mile radius from participating stores. Customers can place orders through the Wing app, with Walmart currently testing drone ordering within its app in Dallas.
Greg Cathey, senior vice president of Walmart U.S. transformation and innovation, said, “The number one piece of feedback that we get from our customers are, ‘When are you expanding?’” He noted that most drone orders are for time-sensitive items such as over-the-counter medication, eggs, or cookout essentials.
The drones can deliver items in 30 minutes or less, with over half of the 150,000 in-store items eligible for delivery, according to the company. Popular deliveries have included fruit, pet food, and household basics.
Walmart has completed more than 150,000 drone deliveries since launching the service in 2021, though it did not disclose revenue or unit totals. It currently operates 21 active drone delivery sites in Arkansas and Texas using partners Wing and Zipline. A previous partnership with DroneUp ended last year.
While Walmart aims to improve delivery speed and convenience, its previous expansion plans with DroneUp fell short of projected reach. Amazon’s competing drone program, Prime Air, has also faced challenges, including a temporary suspension due to software issues.
Kieran Shanahan, chief operating officer of Walmart U.S., said, “We see it as part of a broader ecosystem of things.” He added that new technologies could further shape Walmart’s delivery approach in the future.
