Wing said its drones use a dual-propulsion system that includes vertical lift motors for takeoff and landing, and separate cruise motors for long-range flights. | Source: Wing
Walmart Inc., with the help of Wing Aviation LLC, last week said it is taking its drone delivery service to five new cities: Atlanta; Charlotte, N.C.; Houston; Orlando; and Tampa, Fla. The company said the rapid expansion reinforces its leadership in tech-enabled retail.
“As we look ahead, drone delivery will remain a key part of our commitment to redefining retail,” stated Greg Cathey, senior vice president 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,” he added. “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.”
Walmart expects drone deliveries to accelerate
Since launching drone delivery in 2021, Walmart claimed it has completed more than 150,000 deliveries within minutes. With the expansion, the company said it is set to offer thousands of products delivered directly to customers’ doors in 30 minutes or less.
Walmart said customers are using drone delivery for key ingredients they may have forgotten during their weekly grocery trip or for urgent care items, such as over-the-counter cold/flu medicine, baby formula, and COVID-19 tests. Some of the most frequently delivered products include fresh fruit, eggs, ice cream, and pet food.
The new drone service will launch at 100 stores, building on existing operations in Northwest Arkansas and Dallas-Fort Worth. Through an agreement with established drone providers, Walmart said it can deliver a faster, more efficient service to even more customers.
Wing operates within U.S. Federal Aviation Administration guidelines, flying its drones beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) up to a 6 mi. (9.6 km) from the 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 across many more U.S. cities.”
Wing and drone delivery take off with the help of big partners
Walmart isn’t the only company working with Wing for drone deliveries. In December, Wing partnered with DoorDash and Brookfield Properties to bring drone delivery to local malls in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Launching at Brookfield Properties’ Stonebriar Centre in Frisco and Hulen Mall in Fort Worth, the service is the first of its kind for American shopping malls, claimed the companies.
The Alphabet subsidiary maintains a fleet of lightweight drones that can transport small packages directly from businesses to homes in minutes. Wing has been operating in the U.S. for the past five years, and it said it has completed more than 400,000 commercial deliveries worldwide.
The Mountain View, Calif.-based company asserted that its systems are safe, sustainable, and easy to integrate into existing delivery and logistics networks.
Walmart is also working with multiple drone providers. Earlier this year, Zipline launched its first-ever P2 drone site at Walmart stores in Mesquite and Waxahachie, Texas, offering a delivery experience that’s quieter than the average delivery truck, it claimed.
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