Five more cities in the US to receive drone deliveries from Walmart and Wing

Wing, the drone delivery service backed by Alphabet, is expanding its commercial operations significantly through a deeper partnership with retail giant Walmart. On Thursday, the companies revealed plans to roll out drone delivery services to over 100 Walmart locations across five new urban markets: Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa. Additionally, Wing will extend its services in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where it has already been operating in partnership with Walmart.

This action reflects Walmart’s growing confidence in the practicality and utility of drone delivery as a long-term retail strategy. As stated by Greg Cathey, senior vice president for the United States at Walmart. Transformation and Innovation, integrating drone technology is central to enhancing customer convenience and elevating the shopping experience. He emphasized that the company is committed to pushing the boundaries of retail to make services faster and more accessible.

For Wing, this large-scale expansion reflects its transition from an experimental initiative under Alphabet’s innovation lab, X, to a full-fledged commercial entity. In 2023, the company and Walmart first collaborated, reaching roughly 60,000 households with a pilot program at two Dallas-area stores. Since then, the program has grown to include drone deliveries from 18 Walmart Supercenters across Dallas-Fort Worth.

Wing CEO Adam Woodworth noted that the company is now beyond the testing phase and fully focused on scaling its business. The success and scalability of the Dallas-Fort Worth pilot have shaped Wing’s strategy for entering new markets, essentially replicating that model to accelerate growth. While he declined to comment on the company’s profitability, Woodworth highlighted that the focus remains on expanding operations efficiently. Wing is banking on a model that utilizes lightweight, automated drones to keep operational costs low, despite the fixed expenses tied to flight operations and personnel training. The goal is to increase delivery volume without a corresponding rise in staff.

In addition to retail, Wing is making moves into restaurant food delivery through its collaboration with DoorDash. This collaboration, which started in Australia in 2022 and has since spread to Dallas-Fort Worth and, more recently, Charlotte, indicates Wing’s larger goals in the on-demand delivery sector.