Walmart expands game-changing DRONE delivery service after Amazon’s ‘ultra fast’ rollout

Walmart is expanding its high-tech drone delivery service into Atlanta as part of an industry-wide push to get products to consumers’ doors quicker than ever before.

From Wednesday, the superstore retailer introduced a drone delivery option for customers living throughout metro regions of Atlanta, Georgia, while vowing to make the measure available at up to 100 new stores in the near future.

Customers in Charlotte, North Carolina, Houston, Texas, and both Orlando and Tampa in Florida can all expect the arrival of a drone delivery option soon, Walmart said.

The rollout comes after Amazon’s announcement it would begin testing 30-minute or less deliveries, with a commitment to spend $4billion to triple its delivery network by the end of 2025, according to The Sun.

Walmart CEO Doug McMillon said the company is always eager to see what competitors are introducing in an effort to better its own service.

‘We’re seeing the very best competitors and studying what they do. Then take the best of what they do and apply it if you can,’ said McMillon.

The retailer will ship orders through a partnership with Wing, a subsidiary of Google parent company Alphabet.

‘We’re pushing the boundaries of convenience to better serve our customers, making shopping faster and easier than ever before,’ said Greg Cathey, senior vice president of Walmart Transformation and Innovation.

Walmart became the first to to use drones in five different states on Wednesday

The drones fly at speeds of about 60 miles per hour and carry packages of up to two pounds

‘This expansion of our drone delivery service marks a significant milestone in that journey.

‘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.’

The service is already available in Dallas, Texas, and Bentonville, Arkansas.

Walmart drone deliveries can have packages weighing up to two pounds arrive in as little as 30 minutes from the time of ordering.

Fruit, eggs, pet food, and ice cream are the most commonly drone-delivered items, according to Walmart.

The devices travel about 60 miles per hour and, upon reaching their destination, will hover about 450 feet in the air before lowering the order down on a tether.

Walmart claimed that drone delivery will remain a key part of its efforts to redefine retail.

Walmart and Amazon are joined by Chipotle and DoorDash in using drone technology to deliver to customers.

Amazon has begun testing Amazon Now, a service that promises essentials delivered in less than 30 minutes

But Jeff Bezos-owned Amazon is refocusing efforts on how quickly they can get packages to customers via traditional modes of transport.

Amazon Now is testing getting deliveries for household essentials and fresh groceries in less than half an hour.

The rollout of the new high-speed system is available in parts of Seattle, Washington, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Prime members will pay discounted delivery fees starting at $3.99 per order, compared to non-Prime customers’ $13.99.

‘Eligible customers can browse the thousands of items available for delivery in minutes. Customers can track their orders and have the option to tip their drivers,’ Amazon said in a press release.

Back in October, Amazon drones collided with cranes in Arizona, raining fiery debris onto a commercial area.

Amazon latest drone the MK30

A man claimed to be working at the crash site when a loud noise caught his attention, and pieces of the drone began to fall on him and his crew.

‘Several got hit. While we had finally figured out it was a big drone, about three minutes later, another one hit the exact same spot,’ witness Robert Mitchell said.

He further explained that one person was standing six feet away from the landing spot of the wrecked drone.

Mitchell continued: ‘Nothing done incorrectly on our end. But something badly went wrong with the drone’s flight paths.’

Then in November, an Amazon MK30 drone struck an overhead internet cable after completing a delivery in Waco, Texas.