Walmart added to Charlotte drone delivery service for homes. How it works
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Walmart and Wing will launch drone delivery across Charlotte by next year.
- Wing drones average under 19 minutes per delivery and travel up to 65 mph.
- Walmart plans drone service expansion to 100 stores nationwide, including Charlotte.
A drone delivery service is teaming up with Walmart to bring orders to the front doors of customers in the Charlotte area.
The service, operated by Wing, will be available at many locations by this time next year, according to the Palo Alto, California-based drone company. Along with Charlotte, this is part of a nationwide expansion project for Walmart Supercenters that also includes Atlanta, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa.
This is the second company that Wing has so far partnered with in Charlotte.
After bringing the service to the Dallas-Fort Worth area in 2023, Wing and Walmart are currently completing thousands of weekly deliveries from 18 stores.. The average fulfillment time is under 19 minutes.
During checkout, customers can confirm a delivery location, such as a front or back yard. Items will be packed into a box before a delivery drone retrieves the orders from a Walmart store and cruises up to 65 mph to the drop-off location. The drone will gently lower the package to the ground before taking off.
Customers can sign up on Wing’s website at wing.com/walmart to be notified when the service becomes available in their area.
Along with Walmart, Wing is working to set up the service at stores in the Charlotte region. The companies will share more details as they begin to roll out locations over the coming months.
Drone service expands in Charlotte
Wing is not new to Charlotte.
In May, the company began delivering DoorDash orders to customers within a four-mile radius of the Arboretum Shopping Center in south Charlotte.
Charlotte and other cities will be part of the largest drone delivery expansion ever facilitated through Walmart Supercenters, according to Wing. In total, Wing plans to expand service to an additional 100 Walmart stores.
“Walmart has been a strong partner that shares our commitment to innovation and is equally eager to bring this new type of service to many more households,” Wing CEO Adam Woodworth stated in a blog post.
Drone delivery service will remain a key part of a commitment to redefine retail, according to Greg Cathey, senior vice president, Walmart U.S. Transformation and Innovation.
“This expansion of our drone delivery service marks a significant milestone in that journey,” he said. “As the first retailer to scale drone delivery, Walmart is once again demonstrating its commitment to leveraging technology to enhance our delivery offerings with a focus on speed.”
