Walmart's drone dream gets permission to take off in Dallas

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Drone delivery services are starting to fly into more stores as the world's largest retailer aims to dominate not only retail but also the skies.

The Arkansas-based company said it currently provides drone delivery services to up to 75% of the population of Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas (DFW), and the company said it was “gaining momentum” at the beginning of the year. . We have the largest drone delivery footprint of any U.S. retailer. ”

Walmart has worked with a number of partners over the past three years or so, most recently with Wing, Google's drone technology subsidiary, in Dallas.
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Parent alphabet and zip line. The company initially launched drone-based deliveries from three stores in northwest Arkansas, dating back to the end of 2021.

The company is expanding its partnership with Wing, which began last August and initially offered delivery service from two stores in the Dallas, Texas, metropolitan area.

This enabled the retailer to serve 60,000 homes. That's because both Wing and Zipline are approved by the FAA to fly drones without a dedicated observer within constant visual line of sight (BVLOS). Drone delivery to more homes in Texas.

The project began at a Walmart Supercenter in Frisco, Texas, with Wing drone delivery service starting April 29th, and will include two stores in North Richland Hills, one in Frisco, one in Lewisville, All served the state of Texas.

To order items with Wing drone delivery, customers download the Wing app and enter their address to see if their home is within Wing drone delivery range. Walmart says the service offers delivery options for customers to receive their items within 30 minutes, with some deliveries available in as little as 10 minutes.

Walmart drone expansion

“This expansion brings the ultimate convenience of drone delivery to communities across the DFW area. Customers will now have access to Walmart's widest selection of products that can be delivered to their home in just minutes,” Walmart said. said Pratibha Rajashekar, Senior Vice President, US Innovation & Automation. And soon it will be a reality for millions more Texans. ”

Walmart has piloted drone delivery over the past two years and completed more than 20,000 deliveries, with customers opting for drone service for a variety of reasons, including forgotten ingredients, over-the-counter medication, or just for convenience. He said he has seen it being used. The most popular items ordered include snacks and drinks, as well as fragile items such as eggs.

“In our first few months of delivery to Walmart customers, it became clear that the demand for drone delivery was real,” Wing CEO Adam Woodworth said of the expansion. “The response from customers who order drone deliveries from Walmart every day has been incredible. If this milestone is any indication, we believe 2024 will be the year of drone delivery. Masu.”

A brief history of Walmart flight

After launching its own DroneUp drone delivery partnership in 2021, Walmart has expanded its service offerings through DroneUp in Arizona, Florida, and Texas. In fall 2021, the retailer partnered with Zipline to launch an instant drone-based delivery service at its Neighborhood Market store in Pea Ridge, AR.

Walmart's drone delivery hub is currently operated by DroneUp (in which Walmart also has an investment), Flytrex, Zipline, and Wing, and the retailer says it has a large number of products available at Neighborhood Market stores. Approximately 85% meet weight requirements (up to 10 pounds). ) and quantity requirements for drone deliveries ($3.99 fee).

With about 4,700 stores within 10 miles of 90% of the U.S. population, Walmart said it is “uniquely positioned” to expand when the time comes.