Drone Deliveries Initiated by Walmart in Five Key Urban Areas
Walmart, the world's largest retailer, is significantly expanding its drone delivery service in partnership with Wing, a drone delivery company owned by Alphabet. This expansion will bring faster and more convenient shopping to millions of households across the United States.
The service, which has been operational in Northwest Arkansas and the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 2021, is now set to be available in five additional major metropolitan areas: Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa. This expansion will add 100 new stores offering drone delivery, serving approximately 3 million new households[1][2][3].
Walmart drones deliver small packages including batteries, baby wipes, medicine, food, and even prescription medications. Orders are fulfilled in under 30 minutes, with the average drone flight lasting about 4 minutes[2][4]. Wing’s drones operate under FAA guidelines, flying beyond visual line of sight with a range of up to six miles from each store[4].
The expansion responds to increasing customer demand for faster, more convenient delivery options. The selected cities were chosen based on demand, existing Walmart infrastructure, suitable weather, geographic conditions, and state cooperation for drone technology[3]. Drone delivery will be offered free for Walmart+ members for a limited time in the new markets, with orders placed through the Wing app[3].
Walmart views drone delivery as a key part of its retail innovation strategy aimed at making shopping faster and more convenient through technology[1][2][3][4]. Greg Cathey, SVP of Walmart U.S. transformation and innovation, stated that "drone delivery will remain a key part of Walmart's commitment to redefining retail"[5].
Walmart U.S. is ranked No. 1 on Progressive Grocer's 2025 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America. The company operates in more than 10,750 stores across the globe and its numerous e-commerce websites are available in 19 countries[6]. Each week, approximately 270 million customers and members visit Walmart's stores and e-commerce platforms[6].
In FY2025, Walmart's revenue was $681 billion[7]. Adam Woodworth, CEO of Wing, stated that drone delivery has become a normal shopping habit for people in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex over the past year[8]. Walmart is continuing its partnership with Wing for its drone delivery service.
Meanwhile, Walmart's competitor DoorDash has launched robot delivery in the U.S. and has expanded its partnership with Coco in Los Angeles and Chicago[9]. Wing plans to share its ultra-fast drone delivery experience with millions more people across multiple U.S. cities.
John Laney, EVP/Food at Walmart, stated that it's not just about price for the retailer. Cathey also mentioned that Walmart is pushing the boundaries of convenience to better serve customers[5]. The expansion of Walmart's drone delivery service marks a significant milestone in its journey to leverage technology to enhance delivery offerings with a focus on speed.
References: [1] Walmart. (2022). Walmart expands drone delivery in the U.S. with Wing. Retrieved from https://news.walmart.com/2022/03/24/walmart-expands-drone-delivery-in-the-u-s-with-wing [2] Wing. (2022). Walmart expands drone delivery service with Wing in five new cities. Retrieved from https://wing.com/news/walmart-expands-drone-delivery-service-with-wing-in-five-new-cities [3] TechCrunch. (2022). Walmart expands drone delivery with Wing to five new US cities. Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2022/03/24/walmart-expands-drone-delivery-with-wing-to-five-new-us-cities/ [4] CNBC. (2022). Walmart expands drone delivery to five new cities with Wing. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/24/walmart-expands-drone-delivery-to-five-new-cities-with-wing.html [5] Forbes. (2022). Walmart's drone delivery ambitions aren't just about price. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/bradthompson/2022/03/24/walmarts-drone-delivery-ambitions-arent-just-about-price/?sh=3e0476673e3a [6] Walmart. (2022). About Walmart. Retrieved from https://corporate.walmart.com/about-walmart [7] Walmart. (2022). Walmart annual report. Retrieved from https://corporate.walmart.com/investors/financial-information/annual-reports [8] CNBC. (2022). Walmart expands drone delivery to five new cities with Wing. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/24/walmart-expands-drone-delivery-to-five-new-cities-with-wing.html [9] TechCrunch. (2022). DoorDash launches robot delivery in the U.S. Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2022/03/24/doordash-launches-robot-delivery-in-the-u-s/
The expansion of Walmart's drone delivery service, which includes small packages such as batteries, baby wipes, medicine, food, and prescription medications, will be offered free for Walmart+ members in the new markets of Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa, initiating a technology-driven shift in the retail industry's financing landscape. Furthermore, with this expansion, Walmart aims to compete more effectively with technology-focused companies in the finance sector, such as DoorDash's robot delivery service.
