TL;DR
Wing and Walmart will expand their on-demand drone delivery tie-up to 150 additional stores, bringing the service to more than 270 locations by 2027. The rollout will continue through this year and into 2027, with operations already active in several U.S. metro areas.
What happened
Alphabet-owned Wing and Walmart announced a sizable expansion of their on-demand drone delivery partnership. The companies plan to add service at 150 additional Walmart stores, building on existing operations in Dallas–Fort Worth and Atlanta and earlier announced launches in markets including Houston, Orlando, Tampa and Charlotte. Wing’s new chief business officer said the rollout will take place throughout this year and into 2027; once complete the network will operate from more than 270 Walmart stores and reach about 10% of the U.S. population. The expansion follows pilots that began in 2023, when two Dallas stores served roughly 60,000 homes and later grew to 18 Supercenters in Dallas–Fort Worth. Wing says repeat users are frequent—its top quarter of customers use the service about three times weekly—and common orders include groceries and snacks. The company is also testing larger aircraft capable of carrying five-pound payloads and expects to continue co-locating operations at Walmart sites.
Why it matters
- Marks a step toward larger-scale commercial drone logistics beyond initial pilot programs.
- Deeper integration with Walmart could accelerate adoption of rapid, neighborhood-level deliveries.
- Expansion reflects consumer demand patterns that could shape last-mile delivery economics.
- Deployment of larger five-pound-capacity aircraft may broaden the range of items suitable for drone delivery.
Key facts
- Wing will add drone delivery at 150 more Walmart stores, expanding to more than 270 stores by 2027.
- The rollout will occur throughout this year and into 2027, according to Wing’s chief business officer Heather Rivera.
- Current service areas include Dallas–Fort Worth and Atlanta; recent plans covered Houston, Orlando, Tampa and Charlotte.
- When expansion is complete, Wing’s Walmart service is expected to reach about 10% of the U.S. population.
- Early pilots began in 2023 with two Dallas stores that reached roughly 60,000 homes and later expanded to 18 Supercenters in Dallas–Fort Worth.
- Wing reports its top 25% of customers use the drone service about three times per week.
- Commonly ordered items include eggs, ground beef, fresh tomatoes, avocados, limes, Lunchables and snacks such as Takis.
- Wing recently completed first commercial flights of larger aircraft that can carry a five-pound payload.
- Wing maintains a partnership with DoorDash, but its primary commercial path is through Walmart.
- Rivera said Wing will experiment with scaling approaches like clustering store openings; she declined to disclose profitability details.
What to watch next
- Progress and cadence of the store rollouts and any announced market-by-market timelines (confirmed: rollout spans this year into 2027).
- Deployment and commercial use of the larger five-pound payload aircraft across Walmart locations (confirmed: first commercial flights completed).
- Whether and when Wing’s operations become consistently profitable (not confirmed in the source).
- Regulatory or local operational challenges that could affect expansion speed or service availability (not confirmed in the source).
Quick glossary
- Drone delivery: Using unmanned aircraft to transport and drop off small parcels or goods to customers without human pilots onboard.
- Payload: The weight or cargo a delivery drone is designed to carry; Wing recently tested aircraft with a five-pound payload capacity.
- Pilot program: A small-scale, time-limited test of a service or technology used to evaluate feasibility and gather data before wider rollout.
- Co-locating: Placing operational facilities or services at the same physical sites as a partner, such as Wing operating from Walmart property.
- Commercial flights: Flights conducted as part of a business service offering, distinct from experimental or purely test flights.
Reader FAQ
How many Walmart stores will Wing serve after the expansion?
More than 270 Walmart stores once the announced expansion is complete.
When will the new stores start receiving drone delivery service?
The rollout will occur throughout this year and into 2027; Wing said it will launch in Houston on January 15.
What kinds of items do customers order via Wing’s service?
Reported common orders include eggs, ground beef, fresh tomatoes, avocados, limes, Lunchables and snacks like Takis.
Is Wing’s drone delivery operation profitable?
Not confirmed in the source; Wing’s chief business officer declined to share profitability details.
Does Wing work with other delivery companies?
Wing has a partnership with DoorDash, but Walmart is described as its primary path to commercial operations.
Wing, the Alphabet-owned company that delivers groceries, over-the-counter medicine, and hot lattes, is expanding its partnership with Walmart for the second time in less than a year. The two companies…
Sources
- Wing to expand drone delivery to another 150 Walmart stores
- Wing's drone delivery is coming to 150 more Walmarts
- Wing and Walmart announce world's largest drone delivery …
- Walmart Takes Flight With Drone Delivery Expansion to …
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