US-based retail giant Walmart and its partner DroneUp have launched drone delivery services in multiple markets across the US.
The retailer has made drone delivery available for customers at 11 stores in the Dallas area of Texas.
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Customers living within a mile of a participating store can order from more than 10,000 eligible items, with a weight limit of 10lb on each order.
Deliveries cost $3.99 each and will be fulfilled in a minimum of 30 minutes.
Walmart drone delivery is also available for certain customers in the Tampa and Orlando areas in Florida.
Deliveries for eligible items, including fragile items such as eggs, will be fulfilled from seven stores in the state.
Some customers in Phoenix, Arizona, can also make use of the drone delivery service, which will be offered from four Walmart stores in the city.
The launch is part of Walmart’s plans to expand its drone delivery services with DroneUp to 34 sites across Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Utah and Virginia by the end of this year.
The partners plan to offer the service to four million US households in total.
Walmart US innovation and automation vice-president Vik Gopalakrishnan said: “Drone delivery makes it possible for our customers to shop those last-minute or forgotten items with ease, in a package that’s frankly really cool.
“Being on the forefront of that innovation at Walmart is something we’re proud of.
“It may seem like a futuristic option, but it’s giving our customers what they’ve always wanted, and that’s time back to focus on what is most important to them.”
In June this year, Amazon confirmed plans to begin offering drone delivery this year in Lockeford, California.
The company’s Prime Air drones are programmed to drop parcels in customers’ back gardens while detecting both static and moving obstacles.
