Walmart makes last mile delivery move with DroneUp investment

Walmart has Invested in drone delivery provider DroneUp. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The pair partnered last year to launch trial deliveries of at home Covid-19 self-collection kits.

“The trial demonstrated we could offer customers delivery in minutes versus hours,” says CEO and President of Walmart’s U.S. business, John Furner.

“Now, after safely completing hundreds of drone deliveries from Walmart stores, we’re making an investment in DroneUp to continue our work towards developing a scalable last mile delivery solution.”

DroneUp and @WalmartInc are uniquely positioned to succeed in the next chapter of last-mile delivery. With DroneUp’s UAS industry expertise and Walmart’s vast store network, we will unlock affordable rapid delivery and nationwide #drone flight services. #innovation pic.twitter.com/s5CCYIPf1D
— DroneUp (@godroneup) June 17, 2021

He adds: “Walmart already has a significant part of the infrastructure in place – 4,700 stores stocked with more than 100,000 of the most purchased items, located within 10 miles of 90% of the US 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. In the coming months we’ll be beginning our first operation at a store in Bentonville, Arkansas.”

In April, Walmart announced a similar investment in Cruise, an all electric autonomous vehicle company.

“Through these commitments, we’re learning how these technologies can get customers the items they need,” Furner concludes.