Walmart’s latest move in over 270 outlets across America may soon change how you shop
Walmart was one of the first in the U.S. to provide quick deliveries powered by drones. The retail giant launched the service in 2022 in a few locations in Texas, but later expanded to Georgia. Now, with the help of Wing, Walmart is set to glide into several other territories across the country.
According to a report by Seeking Alpha, Walmart is expanding its drone delivery to hit the target of 270 locations offering the service. Shoppers in Los Angeles, Houston, Cincinnati, St. Louis, and several cities in Florida will be able to avail the service. In fact, Wing estimates that more than 40 million customers will be able to enjoy the convenience of drone delivery once the expansion is complete by the end of next year.
Wing is an Alphabet subsidiary that partnered with Walmart on this project. It started under Google in 2012, before becoming an independent business in 2018. They specialize in drone deliveries and work with companies across multiple industries, including retail, healthcare, real estate, and restaurants. In fact, they have been DoorDash's drone delivery partner since 2022, and are now bringing their expertise to help scale Walmart’s operations.
Like DoorDash and Walmart, Amazon has also toyed with the idea of drone deliveries and tested the service extensively in the past few years. However, while Walmart has now decided to scale up, adoption has been difficult for Amazon and DoorDash due to a multitude of problems, ranging from safety and privacy issues to limits set by U.S. aviation rules and weather concerns. Nevertheless, an August 2025 development might mitigate some of these worries, making it easier for Walmart to increase its stake in drone-based deliveries.
Current U.S. aviation rules state that the drone operator or another authorized observer must maintain visual contact with the drone throughout its flight. This is a major hurdle for drone-based delivery systems, and though companies can apply for waivers from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) allowing drones to fly beyond the visual line of sight, the entire process takes up a lot of time. Thankfully, in August 2025, the FAA proposed a new rule that would allow drones to fly beyond the operator's vision without requiring any waivers. Not only will this encourage new companies to try drone-based deliveries, but also reduce the FAA’s workload while gradually incorporating drones into the National Airspace System. However, to be eligible, drones need to be equipped with several safety features, including a collision-avoidance system.
The retail giant states that while such a system will deliver products to your doorstep within minutes, it will be reserved for small purchases like medicine or groceries. The drones can only carry packages that weigh up to five pounds, and the product will be lowered using a tether, allowing customers to collect it easily. Furthermore, Walmart+ members will be able to avail this service for free, while non-members will have to pay an additional cost for every drone delivery.
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