The Drones are Coming

Walmart is expanding drone delivery to six states, the retailer announced yesterday, finally providing some of us with the ability to order the allergy meds we desperately need without setting foot into the pollen-filled danger zone (aka outside).

📝 The deets… When the program was initially launched this past November, it was only available in one Arkansas town.

• But with yesterday’s announcement, 4 million households living within 1.5 miles of a drone-capable store in Phoenix, Orlando, Dallas, Salt Lake City, and Richmond will now be able to access the service.
• Delivery isn’t limited to certain items; customers can purchase 100,000 different products in all, up to a total of 10 pounds — then get that order delivered by drone for $3.99.

⚙️ How it works… Once you press “order”, Walmart workers are notified to pack your item(s) into a box, and then secure the box to a drone. Then, a pilot flies the drone to your address, dropping the package onto the front lawn using what looks like a giant claw. The company aims to deliver 1 million packages by drone annually.

🚁 Zoom out: Earlier this month, Google’s sister company, Wing, began offering a drone delivery service in the Dallas suburbs of Frisco and Little Elm.