Walmart in conjunction with partners Wing and Zipline is providing drone delivery service in the Dallas-Ft. Worth region to 30 localities.  Both drone operators have received Federal Aviation Administration approval to operate Beyond Visual Line of Sight. This extends the potential delivery radius to ten miles.  Zipline has delivered products over 60 million autonomous miles on four continents and Wing has similar credentials established during four years of commercial service.  Walmart claims to have made 20,000 deliveries in response to established demand for the service. 

It is questioned whether drone delivery is a fad or an application looking for a justification.  The weight that can be delivered is restricted and the cost, although presumably lower than conventional home service, will still be borne by customers.

Drone delivery has obvious advantages for medical necessities, pharmaceutical products and small high-value items, especially in remote areas or following natural disasters.  Given the volume of groceries purchased by a household each week it is difficult to imagine how drones can make a substantial inroad in satisfying consumer requirements.  Adam Woodworth, CEO of Wing, claims that 2024 will be the “year of drone delivery”.  It remains to be seen whether this technology will have any meaningful impact on groceries, routine and notional purchases.