How did Walmart’s drone delivery service grow so big, so fast?

Walmart now has the largest drone delivery footprint of any U.S. retailer. But the retail giant’s journey there required help from others.

It has become increasingly common to see a drone hovering over a building with a delivery order. Customers want things faster these days, and drone delivery offers retailers a great way to meet that demand.

At the forefront of the drone delivery revolution is Walmart, which has leapfrogged over Amazon when it comes to last-mile logistics (that is, the last step in the delivery process when a parcel moves from a transportation hub to its final destination). In January of 2024, Walmart announced it now has the largest drone delivery footprint of any U.S. retailer. But the retail giant isn’t solely responsible for its success: A series of strategic partnerships with major drones-as-a-service (DaaS) companies like DroneUp, Zipline, and Flytrex, have proven crucial to Walmart’s ability to scale.