Drone delivery company Wing and retail giant Walmart are expanding what they describe as the largest residential drone delivery network in the United States, adding seven new metropolitan areas as they work toward a goal of reaching 40 million Americans by 2027.
The expansion will bring drone delivery services to Memphis, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Salt Lake City.
The move increases the companies’ planned service footprint to nearly 20 US markets and follows Walmart’s recent announcement that its drone delivery operations had surpassed one million deliveries.
Wing, which is owned by Alphabet, says the expansion is part of a broader plan announced earlier this year to build a network of more than 270 drone delivery locations across the country.
The companies say consumers in the new markets will gain access to tens of thousands of eligible products, with deliveries completed in as little as 30 minutes. Wing’s drones can travel at speeds of up to 60 mph and use a tether system to lower packages directly to customers’ yards or driveways.
Heather Rivera, chief business officer at Wing, said: “Our work with Walmart has shown that drone delivery isn’t just a novelty, it’s a service many customers count on multiple times per week.
“We’re already working with many communities in the seven new markets, as we accelerate our progress to bring ultra-fast delivery to 40 million residents throughout the US.”
The companies have already established drone delivery operations in markets including Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Atlanta, and have previously announced plans to expand into Orlando, Tampa, Charlotte, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, and Miami.
Walmart says the service is designed to provide customers with faster access to a wide range of products, from groceries and household essentials to consumer electronics.
Greg Cathey, senior vice president of eCommerce Fulfillment Transformation at Walmart US, said: “Customers expect their orders on their terms, delivered with speed and ease.
“Expanding into new markets with Wing allows us to provide an innovative delivery option for customers, utilizing our vast store network to make everyday shopping and fulfilling last-minute needs just a little bit easier.”
Before launching services in each new market, Wing and Walmart say they will work with local authorities and community stakeholders to explain how the system operates and to prepare for deployment.
Once the service becomes available, eligible customers will be able to place drone delivery orders through Walmart’s website and mobile app, or directly through the Wing app.
