Wing and Walmart Expand Drone Delivery Services to Five New Cities

photo of Wing drone delivery

Wing, the drone company owned by Alphabet, and Walmart are expanding their drone delivery services to five new cities in the United States, as announced today. Customers who shop at Walmart stores in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa will soon have the ability to request a drone to deliver their online shopping orders.

Currently, Walmart and Wing offer drone delivery at approximately 15 stores in northwest Arkansas and the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The latest announcement will extend this service to an additional 100 stores.

“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, in a statement. “We’re pushing the boundaries of convenience to better serve our customers, making shopping faster and easier than ever before.”

Walmart Drone Expansion Map

Wing Drone Delivery

Wing Drone in Action

Wing Drone Delivery Service

Walmart has been collaborating with several drone operators, but it appears to be particularly satisfied with its partnership with Wing. Since launching drone delivery in 2021, Walmart reports that it has completed more than 150,000 deliveries, often within 30 minutes of the order being placed.

There are certain restrictions for customers wishing to use this service: they must reside within six miles of a participating store, as mandated by FAA regulations governing drone operations beyond the visual line of sight. Additionally, orders must meet specific weight criteria to qualify for drone delivery, but Walmart assures that this encompasses a wide range of products, including groceries, health and wellness items, and household goods.

Since launching drone delivery in 2021, Walmart says it has completed more than 150,000 deliveries.

Wing’s flagship drone is engineered to handle payloads of up to 2.5 pounds, while other models can manage up to five pounds. The company claims that its drones have sufficient battery power to complete a 12-mile round trip while cruising at a maximum speed of 65 mph. The drones utilize tethers and grappling hooks to pick up and drop off small bags and cardboard boxes on customers’ front lawns. Since its inception in 2012, Wing has completed over 450,000 residential deliveries and also operates in Dallas and Charlotte, North Carolina.

In addition to expanding its delivery capabilities, Wing is exploring other methods to enhance the efficiency of its delivery network. The company has developed a system that allows drones to operate without needing to return to an originating base. This innovative system includes Autoloader stations, which are installed in retailers’ parking lots, enabling employees to load prepared orders when ready. When a drone becomes available, it can lower a rope to retrieve the package without requiring anyone to wait around.

Drone delivery companies advocate that by transitioning more deliveries to small electric multi-rotor aircraft, there will be a reduction in the number of polluting trucks needed for last-mile deliveries. This argument is similarly being presented by other companies to residents of Los Angeles and various other cities.

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