Walmart expands high-speed drone delivery to Tampa and four other cities
By Rick Mayer
June 12, 2025 at 12:42 PM EDT
Orlando, Atlanta, Charlotte and Houston are also in the rollout. At the destination, the drone lowers the products by tether, then returns to the launch area at the store.
So, you need that online Walmart order, and you need it now? Look up in the sky!
The mega retailer is expanding its “ultra-fast” drone delivery to Tampa, where customers up to six miles from participating stores can receive products in 30 minutes or less.
The aircraft are operated in partnership with Wing Aviation, a drone delivery company that flies within federal guidelines and uses Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) technology to reach customers up to six miles away from participating Walmart stores.
At the destination, the drone lowers the order by tether, releases it on the ground, then returns to the launch pad at the store.
According to Wing, the drones typically cruise about 40 mph at altitudes between 200 and 400 feet. A round-trip flight — including a brief hover over the delivery location — takes about 25 minutes.
“Walmart is once again demonstrating its commitment to leveraging technology to enhance our delivery offerings with a focus on speed,” Greg Cathey, Walmart’s senior vice president of U.S. transformation and innovation, said in a news release.
Products will be ordered through the Wing app, which is free for download.
Thousands of items are available, from groceries and pet food to baby formula and COVID tests. Some popular buys include bananas, eggs and ice cream, Walmart said.
Wing Aviation, Walmart's partner in drone delivery, operates within FAA guidelines, flying up to six miles from the store. (1920x1080, AR: 1.7777777777777777)
Walmart members can order a wider assortment of products through the Walmart app or website (nonmembers must pay a delivery fee).
Tampa joins Orlando, Atlanta, Charlotte and Houston in the rollout. Customers can click here to sign up and receive a notification when the service starts in their area.
Operating hours will be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., weather permitting.
Walmart's drone service has been testing in the Dallas-Fort Worth region as well as Bentonville, Arkansas, the site of Walmart’s headquarters. Walmart has completed more than 150,000 deliveries since 2021.
The added cities make Walmart the first retailer to scale high-speed drone delivery across five states: Florida, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas.
The company will operate the service at 100 stores nationwide. If the service reaches Walmart’s goals by next year, it plans to remake another 300 stores by 2028.
“This is real drone delivery at scale,” Adam Woodworth, CEO of Wing, said in the release. “People all around the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex have made drone delivery part of their normal shopping habits over the past year. Now we’re excited to share this ultra-fast delivery experience with millions more people across many more U.S. cities.”
The mega retailer is expanding its “ultra-fast” drone delivery to Tampa, where customers up to six miles from participating stores can receive products in 30 minutes or less.
The aircraft are operated in partnership with Wing Aviation, a drone delivery company that flies within federal guidelines and uses Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) technology to reach customers up to six miles away from participating Walmart stores.
At the destination, the drone lowers the order by tether, releases it on the ground, then returns to the launch pad at the store.
According to Wing, the drones typically cruise about 40 mph at altitudes between 200 and 400 feet. A round-trip flight — including a brief hover over the delivery location — takes about 25 minutes.
“Walmart is once again demonstrating its commitment to leveraging technology to enhance our delivery offerings with a focus on speed,” Greg Cathey, Walmart’s senior vice president of U.S. transformation and innovation, said in a news release.
Products will be ordered through the Wing app, which is free for download.
Thousands of items are available, from groceries and pet food to baby formula and COVID tests. Some popular buys include bananas, eggs and ice cream, Walmart said.
Wing Aviation, Walmart's partner in drone delivery, operates within FAA guidelines, flying up to six miles from the store. (1920x1080, AR: 1.7777777777777777)
Walmart members can order a wider assortment of products through the Walmart app or website (nonmembers must pay a delivery fee).
Tampa joins Orlando, Atlanta, Charlotte and Houston in the rollout. Customers can click here to sign up and receive a notification when the service starts in their area.
Operating hours will be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., weather permitting.
Walmart's drone service has been testing in the Dallas-Fort Worth region as well as Bentonville, Arkansas, the site of Walmart’s headquarters. Walmart has completed more than 150,000 deliveries since 2021.
The added cities make Walmart the first retailer to scale high-speed drone delivery across five states: Florida, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas.
The company will operate the service at 100 stores nationwide. If the service reaches Walmart’s goals by next year, it plans to remake another 300 stores by 2028.
“This is real drone delivery at scale,” Adam Woodworth, CEO of Wing, said in the release. “People all around the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex have made drone delivery part of their normal shopping habits over the past year. Now we’re excited to share this ultra-fast delivery experience with millions more people across many more U.S. cities.”