Walmart drones are coming to Denver
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A Walmart delivery drone and its package in flight. Photo: Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
Walmart is deploying drone delivery to Denver, promising to drop groceries and other goods at customers' homes in as little as 30 minutes.
Why it matters: The robot ramp-up is in full force. Driverless cars are roaming Denver's streets. Now drones are taking to the skies.
State of play: Walmart and Alphabet-owned Wing announced Monday they plan to launch drone delivery in the Denver and Seattle areas in 2027, an expansion that will bring the service to nearly 20 major U.S. metros.
- Walmart has five stores in Denver city limits, though it's unclear which will participate.
- The company has approached Northglenn about launching deliveries from the Walmart Neighborhood Market there, the Denver Post reported last week.
How it works: Customers order through Walmart's app, and a drone whisks up to 5 pounds of products through the air at speeds reaching 60 mph.
- Once it reaches its destination, it hovers overhead and lowers the order to the ground on a tether.
- The drones can make deliveries within about 6 miles of their launch site, per Wing.
What they're saying: Walmart says the service could come in handy for busy families, seniors, sick customers who need over-the-counter meds — or anyone who'd rather skip Denver traffic, crowded parking lots or lousy weather.
Yes, but: Not everyone in Colorado is ready.
- Parker and Castle Rock temporarily halted approvals for drone-delivery hubs as officials study concerns around noise, privacy and how the hubs fit into neighborhoods, Axios Douglas County's Robert Sanchez reports.
- Northglenn recently proposed regulations that would allow the hubs with restrictions on their location, noise and operating hours, per the Denver Post.
Between the lines: There's only so much cities can control.
- The FAA regulates drones once they're airborne, so local governments are largely left to regulate their launch and landing sites.
The big picture: Walmart and Wing are building a network of more than 270 drone-delivery locations that they say could reach more than 40 million Americans next year.