Walmart expands drone deliveries to 4 million homes

Retailing giant Walmart is shifting its aerial partnership with DroneUp into higher gear with its announcement today of expanded drone delivery services to a potential of 4 million households across six US states.

In making the move, Walmart says it plans on broadening its existing drone delivery network to 34 sites in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Utah, and Virginia, allowing it to transport more than a million orders to customers’ homes each year. The aerial service will be available daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m, and cost $3.99 for each package of up to 10 lbs. That relatively heavy payload capacity means, Walmart says, “if it fits safely, it flies.”

The significant enlargement of its operations is the most recent sign of Walmart’s commitment to drone deliveries as a driver of future growth.

Related: Forget Amazon, Walmart’s 30-minute residential drone delivery service is now live 

That began in September of 2020 with a trial run of UAVs…