Walmart: Drone Delivery Takes Flight in Florida with DroneUp

Bentonville / AR. (wama) Santa’s sleigh may not be the only thing seen flying in the skies of Florida. Walmart’s drone delivery service is now available for select customers in the Tampa and Orlando areas. The new delivery option will be fulfilled from 7 stores, making it easier than ever for customers to grab those last-minute gifts. No assistance from Rudolph needed.

This marks the first time customers in Florida can take advantage of Walmart’s drone delivery, following the retailer’s earlier announcement of plans to expand its DroneUp network to reach four million additional households across 6 states, including Florida. From last minute meal solutions to a package of Christmas cookies, Walmart has successfully executed thousands of same-day drone deliveries to date.

How it works: Customers living within a mile of a participating store can place orders through droneupdelivery.com between the hours of 08:00 to 20:00 local time. Drones can deliver more than 10,000 eligible Walmart items up to ten pounds, including fragile items like eggs, in as little as 30 minutes. There are no order minimums and the delivery fee is just USD 3.99. With use of promo code FreeDeliveryFL, customers using drone delivery for the first time will have the delivery fee waived. Once the items are packaged and loaded into the drone, the order is then delivered using a cable that gently lowers the package into the customer’s yard.

In partnership with DroneUp, Walmart will offer drone delivery in five other states in addition to Florida by the end of the year, including: Arkansas, Arizona, Texas, Utah and Virginia. In total, there will be 34 stores making drone delivery available in 23 cities nationwide by year end.

DroneUp deliveries are powered by a team of certified pilots operating within FAA guidelines to safely manage flight operations. Deliveries will be made to the safest location of the customer’s home, such as in the front or backyard or driveway.