Unilever flies ice cream to customers using Flytrex drones

The Ice Cream Shop, Unilever’s first-ever digital storefront, has partnered with Flytrex, an aerial food and retail delivery company, to offer ice cream delivery via drone across all of Flytrex’s US locations: Holly Springs, Fayetteville and Raeford, North Carolina, and Granbury, Texas.

Orders from The Ice Cream Shop will be delivered via the skies to front and backyards of local residents with a flight time of “under three minutes”.

Orders are placed using the Flytrex app, which provides customers with real time updates along the delivery route until the package is lowered safely by wire into their yard.

Unilever’s The Ice Cream Shop is a virtual storefront that carries fan-favorite ice cream brands Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers, Good Humor, Klondike, Magnum ice cream, Popsicle and Talenti.

The partnership between Flytrex and The Ice Cream Shop will give customers a new way to effortlessly order from these brands.

Russel Lilly, general manager, Unilever North American Ice Cream, says: “We’re excited to team up with Flytrex as our first-ever drone delivery partner to bring The Ice Cream Shop to new heights.

“Not only are we providing an exciting, innovative and ultra-fast way for ice cream fans to enjoy their favorite Unilever ice cream brands, but The Ice Cream Shop and Flytrex have exclusive ice cream bundles available for purchase.

“Whether you need some treats to sweeten up your backyard BBQ or are craving a cookie crunch – we’re ready to fly straight to your doorstep.”

The partnership comes at an ideal time for fans with summer rapidly approaching and the ice cream market growing apace – estimated to reach $122.1 billion by 2031, according to Allied Analytics.

The new service is operating in cooperation with longtime Flytrex partner Causey Aviation Unmanned under a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) waiver allowing a delivery radius of one nautical mile – reaching thousands of potential homes. Flytrex and Causey conduct all flights while maintaining the highest safety standards.

Yariv Bash, CEO and cofounder of Flytrex, says: “Through the new partnership with Unilever’s digital storefront, you can scream for ice cream and have it in just minutes.

“Why settle for a melted pint in an hour when you can have your ice cream via the skies cold and delicious, too?”

This partnership is the latest in a series of milestones for Flytrex. Most recently, the ultrafast drone delivery company launched in Granbury, Texas, just outside of Dallas-Fort Worth.

Flytrex has also been operating in the state of North Carolina since September 2020, beginning in Fayetteville, and expanding to the town of Raeford. In October 2021, Flytrex launched its third drone delivery station in the “First in Flight” state at the Holly Springs Towne Center.

Flytrex’s delivery service is now available to 10,000 homes across North Carolina and Texas. The pioneering company has already completed thousands of drone deliveries – more deliveries via drone than any other company in the US.