Walmart is significantly expanding its drone delivery service, aiming to reach 40 million Americans across the country. The retail giant plans to add drone delivery services to an additional 150 stores in the coming year, partnering with Wing, an Alphabet-owned drone operator. Wing has called this expansion the "world's largest drone delivery expansion". By 2027, Walmart aims to have a network of over 270 drone-enabled locations stretching from Los Angeles to Miami.
This expansion builds upon Walmart's existing drone delivery operations in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and Metro Atlanta, where drone delivery has become a regular part of shopping. Wing reports that its top 25% of customers in these regions order drone deliveries up to three times a week, with total delivery volumes tripling over the past six months. Walmart has already completed over 150,000 drone deliveries, offering items such as fresh fruit, pet food, over-the-counter medicines, and essential household goods.
The new service areas will include major metropolitan hubs such as Los Angeles, St. Louis, Cincinnati, and Miami, with more markets expected to be announced. Walmart had previously announced drone delivery expansion to Houston, Orlando, Tampa and Charlotte. Drone delivery in Houston is scheduled to begin January 15, 2026.
Walmart's senior vice president of digital fulfillment transformation, Greg Cathey, stated that this expansion will make it more convenient for customers to procure essential items, such as last-minute dinner ingredients. He added that drone delivery plays an important role in delivering what customers want, exactly when they want it. Drone delivery is being positioned as a standard delivery option within Walmart's broader fulfillment strategy.
To utilize the service, customers can download the Wing app and enter their address to see if they are within the delivery range. Walmart has stated that customers can receive deliveries in as fast as 30 minutes. Wing's drones can fly up to 60 mph and travel up to 12 miles round trip, carrying goods weighing up to 5 pounds.
The expansion comes as competition increases in the fast-delivery market. Other companies using drones for deliveries include DoorDash and Amazon.
