Walmart expands drone delivery to 5 major cities

Walmart's futuristic plans to deliver your orders via flying robots are closer to becoming reality, as the mega-retailer expands its drone delivery program to five major cities and more than 100 store locations.

Shoppers in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa will be promised deliveries by air in 30 minutes or less, operated by drone provider Wing. That levels up the program to five states (Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas), including existing operations across Texas in partnership with drone company Zipline. According to Walmart, drones have made more than 150,000 deliveries since the program's 2021 launch.

Drones can deliver to homes up to six miles from a participating store, and orders must be between 2.4 pounds to 10 pounds, depending on the location's fleet. Customers are notified when their drones are on the way, and packages are slowly lowered to the ground via cable upon arrival.

"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," wrote Greg Cathey, senior vice president of Walmart U.S. Transformation and Innovation. "As we look ahead, drone delivery will remain a key part of our commitment to redefining retail."

How to order drone delivery

Drone delivery options should automatically appear for Walmart shoppers in eligible areas once available — users should see a link to the drone landing page at the top of the Walmart homepage after logging in, or can sign up to be notified when the program reaches them.

To get your order from a flying drone:

1. Log into your Walmart.com account.

2. Shop as you usually would, then select check out.

3. Under the order's delivery options, choose Delivery from Store.

4. Select Drone Delivery from the store options.

5. Select a day and time, and if you want your delivery dropped off in your front yard, backyard, or driveway.

6. Proceed with the purchase.

Shoppers are automatically alerted if their order reaches the drone's max weight and carrying capacity.