THE APEX TIMES
Walmart and Wing expand drone delivery footprint to seven new U.S. metro areas
The partners said they plan to begin drone-delivery operations in cities including Philadelphia, Phoenix and San Diego by 2027 as Walmart pushes to speed up last-mile fulfillment.
Walmart is extending its partnership with drone-delivery company Wing, adding seven new U.S. metro areas to its drone delivery rollout plan. The expansion is aimed at launching service by 2027, according to Wing’s statements relayed in an account of the partnership published by Supply Chain Dive.
The additional markets named include New Orleans, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, the San Francisco Bay Area, Salt Lake City, and Memphis, Tennessee. Wing said it is working with communities in the listed markets as it accelerates progress toward what it described as “ultra-fast delivery” for tens of millions of residents across the country.
Drone delivery is one of Walmart’s attempts to shorten the time between a shopper placing an order and receiving it, particularly for items that can be transported quickly. In the account, Wing described its drones as capable of delivering goods in as little as 30 minutes, traveling at up to 60 miles per hour, and carrying a range of products such as groceries ingredients, electronics, and household items, though the scope of items available can vary by location.
Wing also tied the expansion to customer usage, saying that its work with Walmart has shown drone delivery can become a service customers rely on multiple times per week. The company stated that it is already advancing in several markets beyond the original launch footprint, while the new cities are added to the longer-term deployment schedule.
Walmart’s drone delivery effort remains relatively small compared with its overall fulfillment network, but it is growing. On an earlier earnings call referenced in the reporting, Walmart’s U.S. President and CEO David Guggina said the service currently covers 66 locations across four states, including Texas, Georgia, North Carolina and Arkansas.
The reporting also points to momentum in order volume. Walmart reached its “1 millionth” drone delivery in the first quarter, and more than 40% of those deliveries were attributed to repeat customers, suggesting that early deployments are finding ongoing demand rather than remaining a one-off pilot.
The expansion comes as retail and logistics companies compete on speed and convenience, especially for online shopping. Walmart has said it is using its store footprint to reach a large share of the U.S. population quickly, and drone delivery is one mechanism intended to complement the retailer’s broader last-mile capabilities rather than replace them wholesale.
Still, details remain limited in what has been publicly described so far. The companies did not outline in the reporting how many additional stores will be connected to the drone network in each new metro area, what the precise product assortment will be, or whether there will be phased rollouts within the 2027 target window. As with most advanced delivery operations, performance metrics like operating reliability, safety outcomes, and customer satisfaction for each location were not broken out in the available reporting.
The next item to watch is how quickly the partners move from planning to on-the-ground operations in each named market, along with any updated figures from Walmart on store-level rollout, delivery frequency, and the economics of scaling drone delivery beyond the current set of locations.
Why It Matters
- Drone delivery remains a niche channel for most retailers, but an expansion to multiple metro areas indicates Walmart is treating it as an operational service rather than a limited pilot.
- If the deployment targets hold, Walmart and Wing could strengthen Walmart’s ability to offer faster fulfillment in dense urban areas, potentially improving conversion and repeat purchase rates.
- The pace of adding markets will be an indicator of whether drone delivery can scale reliably alongside regulatory approvals, local infrastructure, and safety requirements.
- The rollout also adds competitive pressure on other retailers experimenting with or promoting alternative last-mile delivery methods.
Key Facts
- Walmart and Wing plan to add drone-delivery service to seven additional U.S. metro areas by 2027.
- The new markets cited are New Orleans, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, the San Francisco Bay Area, Salt Lake City, and Memphis, Tennessee.
- Wing said its drones can deliver goods in as little as 30 minutes and travel up to 60 miles per hour, according to the account of its statements.
- Walmart’s drone delivery currently covers 66 locations across four states (Texas, Georgia, North Carolina and Arkansas), as cited from a prior earnings call.
- Walmart reached its 1 millionth drone delivery in Q1, and more than 40% of deliveries were repeat deliveries, according to the reporting.
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