Walmart has signed a new multi-year agreement with Zipline to add 300 drone delivery sites nationwide, with the potential to expand further, growing what the retailer calls the nation’s largest retail drone delivery program.
Walmart has worked with Zipline on drone deliveries since 2021, and with 90 percent of Americans living within 10 miles of a Walmart store, the retailer is leveraging its store network to expand the service, with tens of thousands of eligible items available for delivery in as fast as 30 minutes where available. More than 2 million deliveries have been completed to date. The locations of the new delivery sites was not disclosed.
“Whether it’s the missing frosting for a birthday cake, running out of coffee and creamer on a Monday morning or a new pack of tennis balls before heading to the court, drone delivery gives customers a fast way to get what they need in just minutes,” Walmart said.
“We see customers try drone delivery for the novelty and then continue to come back to it for the convenience when they need something in minutes,” said Greg Cathey, SVP of e-commerce fulfillment transformation. “Walmart’s stores put us close to the communities we serve. With Zipline, we can build on that proximity and bring this fast delivery option to even more customers across the country.”
How the service works
Customers see drone delivery as an option in the Walmart app or on Walmart.com when their address is within delivery range. They then add items to their cart, place the order and track it as it flies to their home, landing in the front yard, backyard or driveway. Eligible addresses also can order through the Zipline app.
Zipline, the world’s largest drone delivery service by miles flown with 150 million commercial autonomous miles, uses a two-part architecture that keeps the drone roughly 330 feet above the ground while a tethered pod descends with the order.
“Five years ago, Walmart and Zipline made our first deliveries together. Back then, the idea of autonomous delivery seemed impossible to most people. Today, customers order from us multiple times a day,” said Keller Cliffton, CEO and co-founder of Zipline. “When you can get what you need in 10-30 minutes it takes a huge amount of anxiety out of life. People can plan their lives around their loved ones, not errands. Now, with Walmart, we’re going to expand this tech to homes throughout the country.”
Drone delivery is among the fastest of Walmart’s same-day options, which also include 30-minute-or-less delivery in select markets, Express delivery in an hour or less, On-Demand delivery in as soon as three hours and scheduled delivery windows.
Bentonville, Arkansas-based Walmart serves approximately 280 million customers and members weekly through more than 10,900 stores and e-commerce sites in 19 countries, with fiscal year 2026 revenue of $713 billion.