Walmart (WMT) is sharply expanding its use of drone delivery, aiming to bring aerial drop-offs to tens of millions of U.S. shoppers by partnering more deeply with Wing, a subsidiary of Alphabet (GOOG) (GOOGL).
The retailer plans to add drone service at 150 more U.S. stores over the next year, putting it on track to exceed 270 drone-enabled locations by the end of 2027. The move dramatically broadens Walmart’s earlier, more limited rollout in markets such as Dallas-Fort Worth and Atlanta.
Wing estimates the expansion would give more than 40 million Walmart customers access to drone delivery, compared with only a few million today. Walmart says the service is designed for small, urgent purchases, such as groceries or medicine, delivered within minutes.
Retailers and tech firms including Amazon (AMZN) and DoorDash (DASH) have tested drone deliveries in recent years, but adoption has been uneven. Regulatory limits, weather constraints, and concerns around safety, noise and privacy have slowed broader deployment.
That landscape may be shifting. Proposed U.S. aviation rules released last year could make it easier for drones to fly beyond the operator’s line of sight, a change industry experts say would significantly improve the economics and scalability of aerial delivery.
Walmart began drone deliveries in Texas in 2022 and has since expanded to several additional regions. New markets planned for the coming year include Los Angeles, Houston, Cincinnati, St. Louis and multiple cities in Florida.
Wing’s drones can carry packages weighing up to five pounds and travel several miles per trip, lowering orders to customers’ homes by tether. Walmart (WMT) offers drone delivery free to Walmart+ members, while nonmembers pay a per-order fee.