For this reason, the company has created pilot delivery programs to provide the service. The latest program using drone technology is an instant delivery service being tested at the Neighborhood Market store in Arkansas.
The project was announced in September 2020, and its novelty is that it allows deliveries to be made in less than an hour. This project is currently being tested, so if it is successful, Walmart hopes to expand the system to other territories. Additionally, to support their services, they have built a 25-foot drone platform for takeoff and landing.
“Zipline’s autonomous aircraft presents an incredible opportunity to offer customers an on-demand delivery option for items they need now, such as a thermometer, over-the-counter medications, or an emergency pack of diapers,” said Tom Ward, vice president of Walmart US.
“Even more, Zipline’s aircraft can help provide immediate access to necessary items for hard-to-reach and at-risk populations, such as rural communities and elderly customers. By bringing this revolutionary technology to the rural community of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, we continue to look for ways to make shopping with Walmart convenient and easy for everyone,” Ward added.
In tests used for specific customers, an order can be created for delivery through the Zipline app. To do this, it is necessary that the customer has requested the product so that an associate will then collect the product and pack it to finally deliver it to Zipline and that they will subsequently carry out the corresponding maneuvers to execute the shipment via drone.