Walmart Takes to the Skies

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.