Walmart will soon offer drone delivery to Tarrant County. Here’s how it works
Walmart will continue its sky-high drone delivery efforts in Tarrant County, but this time with Zipline, the world’s largest autonomous delivery service, according to a news release.
The Arkansas-based retailer is striving to serve 75 percent of Dallas-Fort Worth with drone delivery service. The corporation aims to eventually have drone delivery available to more than 30 towns across the Metroplex. This new technology will help deliveries happen quicker, sometimes as soon as 10 minutes after the order is placed. It will also operate late at night, allowing customers to order until 10 p.m.
Walmart has experimented with drone delivery service in north Texas before. A store in Frisco partnered with Wing, another drone delivery service. This feature allows customers to get small items of 2.5 pounds and lighter delivered within a six-mile radius straight to their door.
Both Wing and Zipline are partnering with Walmart stores in D-FW to complete autonomous deliveries. The two have different aircraft. Wing drones lower the parcel down by a tether and clip. Zipline has a both a drone and droid robot helper, which is lowered down by a tether.
Zipline will make its debut at a Walmart in Bedford, located on 4101 Highway 121. The technical construction will be complete by March 2025, according to a TDLR document.
What are Walmart Zipline drones?
A Zipline spokesperson told the Star-Telegram in an interview that Zipline’s autonomous delivery service is operated by drones they call “zips.”
The company has two models of zips: Platform 1 and Platform 2. Platform 1 is what Zipline uses in Rwanda for long-range medical deliveries and also has zipped around in the U.S. since 2021. Platform 2 is what DFW Walmarts will use since it is built specifically for urban areas.
The Platform 2 zip can make 8-pound deliveries up to 10 miles away in about 10 minutes. At 70 mph, this zip flies to its destination and hovers at about 300 feet in the air to make its dropoff. And these drones are quieter than a truck because of another Zipline product: a droid robot.
While the P2 hovers a few hundred feet in the sky, the droid is lowered out of the belly and quietly delivers the parcel to a small picnic table or front door steps.
“People don’t like noise. People don’t like things (propellers) that are spinning fast. So if we keep the aircraft way up high, then it’s quieter and it’s safer,” the spokesperson said.
How do you order with drone delivery on Walmart?
Drone delivery is not operational at the Bedford Walmart yet. When it is up and running, you will need the Zipline app.
Customers can choose items that are eligible for drone delivery, and then check out.
“Drone delivery service is used when customers need an item in a pinch, like a forgotten ingredient or over the counter cold medicine, or simply because it’s convenient,” a news release from Walmart said. “Some of the most popular items ordered include snacks and beverages, satisfying an afternoon sweet tooth or caffeine craving.”
When your package arrives, the zip drone will stay high in the sky while the robot droid delivers your package straight to your doorstep.
This story was originally published January 15, 2025 at 1:07 PM.