Walmart Takes to the Skies

Retailers continue to look for new ways to meet consumer demand for fast delivery. Many, including Walmart, are banking on drones.
For a cool $3.99, Walmart customers who live within one mile of a participating store can now have thousands of eligible products delivered to their home via same-day drone delivery.
Walmart expanded its DroneUp delivery to the Tampa, Orlando, Phoenix, and Dallas areas, bringing its total to 36 stores that offer same-day drone delivery. Operating in a 12-hour window between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., shoppers can order up to 10 pounds of product for same-day drone delivery—and it is often delivered in 30 minutes or less. The retailer completed more than 6,000 drone deliveries in seven states in 2022.
Here’s how it works: Participating stores house a DroneUp delivery hub—which includes certified pilots operating within FAA guidelines—that manages flight operations for deliveries. Orders are fulfilled from the store, packaged, loaded, and delivered to customers using a cable that lowers the package.