Walmart is introducing its drone deliveries to seven more metro areas, the latest phase of a nationwide buildout it’s been running with delivery company Wing.
The new markets are scattered over the country, including New Orleans, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, the San Francisco Bay Area, Salt Lake City, and Memphis. Wing wants drones in the air in all of them by 2027.
“Our work with Walmart has shown that drone delivery isn’t just a novelty, it’s a service many customers count on multiple times per week,” said Heather Rivera, Wing’s chief business officer in a statement. “We’re already working with many communities in the seven new markets, as we accelerate our progress to bring ultra-fast delivery to 40 million residents throughout the U.S.,” she added.
The move advances last year’s announcement targeting five major markets in Atlanta, Houston, Charlotte, Orlando, and Tampa, from about 100 Walmart stores, a plan that has since moved into active rollout alongside the established Dallas-Fort Worth operations.
Beyond the novelty phase
Speed is central to the offering. A Wing drone can drop a package in about half an hour, roughly the same window Walmart already hits with its stores for a big slice of the country. Interestingly, Amazon is chasing the same clock with drones of its own.
The service currently flies out of about 66 Walmart stores across a handful of states and has been picking up momentum. The retail chain logged its millionth drone delivery earlier this year, with 40% of those coming in the most recent quarter alone.
The two companies now aim to run deliveries from more than 270 stores by 2027. As with all new markets, Wing says it’ll be consulting local officials before any city goes live.
Elsewhere, Wing has had a busy year. It managed to secure federal approval to fly after dark, thereby extending its hours near one Texas store. It also recently teamed with Papa Johns on a drone delivery pilot in the Charlotte, North Carolina area, initially delivering oven-toasted sandwiches as the partnership works toward enabling hot pizza deliveries.
Sources: Wing, Walmart, Supply Chain Dive, Papa Johns