Alphabet's Wing announces delivery milestone and Coles partnership

Alphabet’s drone service Wing has hit 200,000 commercial deliveries across global markets, excluding test flights.

Australia, which has been the primary market for testing and commercial deployment, comprises 30,000 of those deliveries in the first two months of this year.

The venture has also announced a partnership with Australian supermarket chain Coles.

Its customers can now order up to 250 items from Coles, with the likes of bread, fresh produce, snacks, meals, health care items, kitchen essentials, and toilet paper being delivered by drone in minutes.

In 2021, Wing completed just over 100,000 drone deliveries in Australia.

It recently had its busiest week ever, making more than 1,000 in a single day.

Earlier this year, Wing launched a partnership with the Vietnamese chain Roll’d.

It has also teamed with Kentucky Fried Chicken (AU) in Australia to deliver a range of hot and fresh menu items direct to homes and workplaces.

Other partners include Friendly Grocer offering rapid Covid-19 tests, and St. John Ambulance QLD providing first aid kits in Canberra and Logan.

In an online post, Wing says: “Integrating drone delivery into daily life isn’t just an added convenience.”

“It holds the promise to reduce traffic congestion, accidents, and greenhouse gas emissions while growing sales for businesses all the while giving people more time back in their busy lives.”

It concludes: “If you want a peek into that future, just look to Australia.”