Store Adds Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa to the Service

Partnering with Alphabet-owned Wing, Walmart plans to roll out drone operations to 100 additional stores. The expanded service includes locations in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Tampa, and Orlando.

This is not Walmart’s first drone rodeo. Wing has been flying deliveries from Walmart stores in Dallas-Fort Worth and Bentonville, Arkansas, for nearly two years. In the Dallas region alone, 18 stores currently use drones to deliver around 1,000 orders per day. Items most often requested include eggs, baby wipes, and last-minute must-haves like a single pint of milk or a forgotten ingredient.

The drones, operated and maintained by Wing staff, are capable of carrying packages up to five pounds. Each machine has a five-foot wingspan and can lower packages directly into customers’ yards via a tether. Wing says the average delivery time is 19 minutes, giving customers in the new service area an expected delivery time of 30 minutes or less… assuming the weather cooperates.

In Orlando and other new cities, drone orders will initially be available only through Wing’s mobile app. Some areas will offer free delivery, while others may charge up to $20 per order. Members of Walmart’s Plus program may get lucky and qualify for free delivery as part of their annual subscription.

Walmart has previously experimented with drone delivery through partnerships with Zipline and DroneUp, but so far, the public response to its efforts has been minimal. This is a stark contrast from Amazon, which faced countless complaints in Texas and Arizona over noise and safety during test flights of its own Prime Air drones.

Wing credits this to its drones being quieter and safer than many competitors. Company representatives claim most people will never notice them, and report only a “handful” of precautionary landings in trees or other safe spots. The primary constraint to expansion is warmer climates where batteries don’t freeze and skies are less prone to sudden tantrums.

The Federal Aviation Administration has authorized Wing to deliver up to 30,000 packages daily in the Dallas area and 10,000 in Charlotte. Whether any of this becomes profitable, however, remains to be seen.

FMI: https://wing.com