Walmart Is Launching Grocery Delivery Drones In 6 States—And They Won't Break Your Eggs
Look up! It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's… Walmart. America's largest grocery store is launching airborne drones to make deliveries in six states.
The new high-tech, same-day delivery service took off yesterday in several U.S. cities, including Dallas, Orlando, Phoenix, and Tampa. The company aims to expand the program soon to select markets in Utah and Virginia, with the potential to reach almost 4 million households across six states, according to a press release.
Walmart first tested the program at three stores near its headquarters in Northwest Arkansas.
Customers in these places can choose from tens of thousands of goods—up to 10 pounds per flight, for safety reasons. Even fragile items like eggs are available for an air drop, according to Supermarket News.
How will Walmart ensure that your eggs arrive intact? Very carefully. An online video demonstration shows a Walmart drone slowly lowering a sealed delivery box with the help of a retractable cable, before setting it down softly in one customer's well-manicured lawn.
Orders will arrive in as little as 30 minutes via the newfangled delivery system. The fee for airborne delivery is $3.99 per order.
Walmart began rolling out the remote-piloted program last year after investing in DroneUp, a Virginia Beach-based startup, which was recently named to Fast Company's "Next Big Things In Tech."
