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Walmart is taking flight — literally — with its biggest drone delivery expansion yet.

The company has announced that it will roll out drone delivery services to 100 additional stores across five major metro areas over the next year: Atlanta (Georgia), Charlotte (North Carolina), Houston (Texas), Orlando and Tampa (Florida). With this move, Walmart’s drone deliveries will span five states: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas.

This marks a significant step in Walmart’s long-term effort to redefine fast delivery. The retailer has partnered with drone operator Wing, a subsidiary of Alphabet (Google's parent company), to provide airborne delivery within a six-mile radius from select stores.

Why Walmart Is Doubling Down on Drones

Walmart has over 4,600 retail locations in the U.S., which it’s using to its advantage by turning stores into miniature distribution hubs. The company is already known for services like:

• Express Delivery: Delivers orders in as little as 30 minutes
• InHome: A subscription-based program that places groceries straight into customers’ refrigerators
• Same-day prescription delivery, launched last fall, now operating nationwide

Drone delivery adds another layer of convenience, especially for urgent needs.

“Customers constantly ask, ‘When are you expanding drone delivery to my area?’” said Greg Cathey, SVP of Transformation and Innovation at Walmart U.S. “People use it for those quick, last-minute essentials — from hamburger buns and Tylenol to bananas and ice cream.”

According to Walmart, most drone orders are fulfilled in 30 minutes or less, and over 50% of the store’s 150,000-item inventory is eligible for drone shipping. Items most frequently sent via drones include:

• Eggs
• Ice cream
• Pet food
• Fresh fruit

Past Promises, Present Progress

Walmart isn’t new to the drone delivery scene. Back in 2021, it launched drone pilots with companies like DroneUp, Flytrex, and Zipline, targeting a goal of reaching 4 million households from 37 stores across six states (Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Utah, and Virginia). At the time, Walmart projected it could complete 1 million drone deliveries per year — but reality didn’t meet expectations.

Today, the total number of drone deliveries completed by Walmart since 2021 is more than 150,000. Though that’s a fraction of its original goals, it still represents one of the largest real-world drone operations in the U.S.

Now, Walmart operates 21 active drone delivery sites in Arkansas and Texas, with Wing and Zipline as current partners. The retailer ended its partnership with DroneUp in 2023.

Amazon vs. Walmart: Who’s Winning the Drone Race?

While Walmart is pushing forward, Amazon — its fiercest retail rival — has also been investing heavily in drones through its Prime Air service. Amazon set an ambitious goal of delivering 500 million packages per year via drone by 2030. However, its progress has been slow.

So far, Amazon has tested drone deliveries in College Station, Texas, and Tolleson, Arizona. But a technical glitch with the drone’s altitude sensor forced a temporary suspension earlier this year.

Amazon is currently working on resuming and expanding operations, but Walmart is already delivering at a wider scale and testing a broader geographic range.

How Much Does It Cost and How Does It Work?

Customers can order drone deliveries through the Wing app, and in many locations, delivery is free. Walmart is also testing drone delivery directly within its own app for users in Dallas. For those not subscribed to Walmart+, the delivery fee is $19.99. Walmart+ members, however, enjoy the service at no additional cost.

According to Wing, its drones fly at about 65 miles per hour, and deliveries are dropped using a tether system, ensuring safety and precision. The service operates seven days a week, typically during daylight hours.

The Future of Aerial Retail Delivery

Despite the modest rollout numbers, Walmart sees drone delivery as a key piece of its broader fulfillment strategy. Kieran Shanahan, COO of Walmart U.S., emphasized the retailer’s commitment to offering customers speed and flexibility across various delivery options — drones, vans, or in-home services.

“This is not a standalone feature,” said Shanahan. “It’s part of a larger ecosystem — and as technology evolves, we’re preparing to evolve with it.”

Industry analysts estimate the global drone delivery market could surpass $50 billion by 2030, driven by advancements in automation, AI-powered navigation, and government regulation easing.

For Walmart, drone delivery isn’t just a novelty — it’s a serious bet on the future of ultra-fast, last-mile logistics.

A Race to the Skies

Walmart’s drone delivery push isn’t just a tech gimmick — it’s a reflection of shifting consumer expectations. With ultra-fast fulfillment now a competitive advantage, and rivals like Amazon playing catch-up, Walmart’s drone initiative could very well define how we shop over the next decade.

And for those wondering whether the sky really is the limit — for Walmart, it might be just the beginning.