Walmart teams up with Alphabet’s Wing for drone deliveries in Dallas

Residents of the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas might soon be getting their groceries delivered by drone after Walmart Inc. today announced that it will partner with Alphabet Inc.’s drone delivery unit Wing.

Alphabet, Google LLC’s parent company, has high hopes for Wing, explaining earlier this year that it expects in the near future to be delivering millions of packages through its Wing Delivery Network. The subsidiary makes the software behind the drones and also develops custom package delivery drones.

The deal with Walmart will mean 60,000 homes will soon start to see their eggs and bacon being delivered from above. The goods will all come from a Walmart Supercenter in Frisco, Texas, with another nearby store expected to become part of the plan in the near future.

“Working with Wing directly aligns with our passion for finding innovative and eco-friendly last-mile delivery solutions to get customers the items they want when they want them,” Walmart said in a blog post today. “With drones that can fly beyond visual line of sight, we’re able to unlock on-demand delivery for customers living within an approximate 6-mile range of the stores that offer the service.”

Residents of the area should first go to the App Store or Google Play and download the Wing app. If the app determines that they live within the delivery range, they are good to go.

Walmart said all “household essentials” will be available, including fragile items such as eggs, while frozen food, medicine and ready meals will also be on the list of available goods. The automated drones travel at about 65 miles per hour at full speed and tether to the ground so as not to destroy what’s onboard. Reports have said they won’t even shake up fizzy drinks.

The items shouldn’t spoil on the flight, either, since it is expected at the very worst, customers will get their delivery within 30 minutes. The service will be available from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. every day but Wednesday. No explanation was given as to why Wednesdays are a no-go.

“Wing’s technology allows operators to oversee the system from a remote location, which means pilots won’t need to be stationed at stores or customer homes,” explained Shannon Nash, Wing’s chief financial officer. “The aircraft essentially fly themselves, so each operator is approved to safely oversee many drones at the same time.”

Photo: Wing