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Walmart is expanding its drone delivery service to three more states, adding to its efforts to enhance convenience and compete with rivals like Amazon. The retail giant announced on Thursday (June 5) that it plans to launch drone deliveries at 100 stores in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa within the coming year. This expansion will bring Walmart's drone delivery service to a total of five states: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas.
Customers can request drone deliveries through the Wing app, the operator partnered with Walmart for this service. The drones have a range of up to six miles from the stores. Walmart's senior vice president of U.S. transformation and innovation, Greg Cathey, said, "The number one piece of feedback that we get from our customers is, 'When are you expanding?'" He noted that customers often use the service for urgent items like hamburger buns, eggs, or cold medicine.
Drone deliveries, which take 30 minutes or less, are part of Walmart's broader strategy to use its large store footprint for faster online order fulfillment. The company has already completed more than 150,000 drone deliveries since 2021. Walmart has tested drone deliveries in Northwest Arkansas and expanded to cover most of the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The company currently operates 21 live sites in Arkansas and Texas with partners Wing and Zipline.
While Walmart's drone delivery count remains modest, the company is testing the addition of a drone delivery option within its app in Dallas. Deliveries are free for Walmart+ members or cost $19.99 for others. Walmart aims to offer flexibility and convenience, with plans to continue expanding as new technologies and capabilities emerge.