Your Walmart packages are set to reach new heights.
The retail giant has launched a delivery service using autonomous drones that will bring items to shoppers within a 50-mile radius.
To make the service a reality, Walmart partnered with medical product delivery company Zipline to manufacture, design and operate the drones, the two companies said in a press release.
At the moment, the drone delivery service is only available in Northwest Arkansas for select health and wellness and consumable items. The plan is to eventually expand it to more locations.
If it sounds futuristic, using the drone service is actually quite easy and similar to land-based delivery systems like DoorDash or InstaCart.
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Eligible customers simply download the Zipline app and select items they want delivered and a delivery time upon completing checkout. A Walmart employee at a retail location then packs the desired items and gives it to a Zipline staff member, who will get the drone ready for the launch. After takeoff, the drone will deliver the package to the customer’s home and then return to the launch site. Through the Zipline app, a customer can track the trajectory of the drone until the package arrives.
The drones will be especially useful to deliver immediate health items to elderly customers who may live in hard to reach areas or in rural communities.
“Zipline’s autonomous aircraft present an incredible opportunity to offer customers an on-demand delivery option for the items they need now, such as a thermometer, non-prescription medication or an emergency pack of diapers,” said Tom Ward, senior vice president, Last Mile Delivery, Walmart U.S.
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“Even more, Zipline’s aircraft can help provide immediate access to needed items for both hard-to-reach and at-risk populations, such as rural communities and elderly customers. By bringing this game-changing technology to the rural community of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, we’re continuing to look for ways to make shopping with Walmart convenient and easy – for everyone.”
Even if you can’t use the drone service yet, all customers can take advantage of Walmart’s early Black Friday sales now.
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