HOUSTON – Are you in need of a grocery delivery service by air? Walmart has you covered.
Walmart, which has partnered with DroneUp, is now announcing the expansion of its drone delivery service to Texas and five other states -- Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Utah and Virginia.
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In total, Walmart will be delivering items via drone from 34 sites, providing up to four million households with access to drone delivery services.
Between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Walmart said customers will be able to order thousands of eligible items, such as Tylenol, diapers and hot dog buns, for delivery by air in 30 minutes. For a delivery fee of $3.99, customers can order items totaling up to 10 pounds, according to the company.
“After completing hundreds of deliveries within a matter of months across our existing DroneUp hubs, we’ve seen firsthand how drones can offer customers a practical solution for getting certain items, fast. More importantly, we’ve seen a positive response from our customers that have used the service. In fact, while we initially thought customers would use the service for emergency items, we’re finding they use it for its sheer convenience, like a quick fix for a weeknight meal. Case in point: The top-selling item at one of our current hubs is Hamburger Helper,” said David Guggina, the senior vice president of innovation and automation for Walmart U.S.
Participating stores will house a DroneUp delivery hub inclusive of a team of certified pilots, operating within FAA guidelines, that safely manage flight operations for deliveries within roughly a mile of the store.
Once a customer places an order, Walmart says the item is fulfilled from the store, packaged, loaded into the drone and delivered right to your yard using a cable that gently lowers the package.
For more information about Walmart’s drone delivery service, click here.