Walmart announced a multi-year partnership expansion with drone operator Zipline to add 300 new drone delivery sites across the U.S., more than doubling its planned drone footprint. The expansion comes alongside an existing partnership with Wing, which will bring coverage to over 270 Walmart locations by 2027, bringing the total planned drone delivery network to at least 570 locations. Customers within delivery range can order tens of thousands of items via the Walmart app or website and receive them in 30 minutes or less, with packages delivered to front yard, backyard, or driveway.
For commerce practitioners, this aggressive buildout underscores how Walmart is leveraging fast delivery as a core customer retention lever. CEO John Furner noted that customers using fast delivery shop more frequently, deepen engagement, and are more likely to become Walmart+ members. With 90% of Americans living within 10 miles of a Walmart store, the retailer is converting its physical proximity advantage into a nationwide drone network, making speed of delivery a structural competitive moat.
Walmart's expansion keeps pace with Amazon, which plans drone delivery in nearly 500 cities by year-end. Zipline simultaneously raised $1.5 billion in new funding to expand U.S. manufacturing and hiring, signaling accelerating infrastructure investment across the drone delivery sector.