Walmart has invested in DroneUp, a nationwide drone services provider. The retailer partnered with the drone company to launch trial deliveries of at-home COVID-19 self-collection kits last year, and this investment helps Walmart scale up its last-mile delivery solutions.
“Walmart already has a significant part of the infrastructure in place,” said John Furner, CEO and president of Walmart U.S. in a statement. “We have 4,700 stores stocked with more than 100,000 of the most-purchased items, located within 10 miles of 90 percent of the U.S. population. This makes us uniquely positioned to execute drone deliveries, which is why our investment in DroneUp won’t just apply to the skies but also the ground.”
Furner confirmed that it will begin drone operations at a store in Bentonville, Arkansas in the coming months.
Related: Walmart Chooses Open Call Finalists; Drone Delivery Approved in North Carolina.
Image: Walmart