At the NRF conference this week in New York, Walmart and Alphabet-owned Wing announced a major expansion of drone delivery—moving from small pilots to true national scale. In 2026, drone delivery will roll out to 150 additional Walmart stores, bringing availability to 40+ million Americans across major metros including Los Angeles, Miami, St. Louis, and Cincinnati.
This is not incremental testing. Wing says the expansion will support a network of 270+ drone delivery locations by 2027, stretching coast to coast, from Los Angeles to Miami.
Why This Matters
Wing reports its top 25% of customers order about three times per week, and deliveries have tripled over the last six months in active markets. Faster last-mile delivery changes what “ready to win” looks like on shelf and online. As more orders shift to ultra-fast fulfillment, brands will benefit most when item data is clean, content is strong, and in-stock execution is tight—so the right products surface quickly and can be fulfilled reliably from local stores.
Bentonville’s Walmart Supercenter Is Building a Drone Delivery Hub
In September 2025, Bentonville’s Planning Commission approved a one-year conditional use permit for Walmart to install new drone delivery facilities in the parking lot of the Walmart Supercenter at 406 S. Walton Blvd. The approved layout includes two fenced enclosures designed to keep drone operations safe and efficient. This isn’t just a local improvement—it’s part of Walmart’s broader move to make ultra-fast delivery a standard option. Walmart has said its Wing partnership builds on existing operations in Northwest Arkansas and Dallas–Fort Worth, with the ability to operate up to a 6-mile range from the store, within FAA guidelines.
The Supplier Takeaway: Execution Becomes Even More Local
As drone delivery scales, winning at Walmart won’t be just about being listed online. The real question becomes:
Can the store fulfill fast—and accurately?
That elevates core fundamentals that top suppliers already prioritize:
- In-stock performance
- On-hand accuracy
- Accurate and complete item data
- Stronger attribute hygiene
- Clean pack/size specs to avoid fulfillment errors
Drone delivery shifts more volume to hyper-local, store-level fulfillment, meaning the brands that win will be the ones ensuring their items are always available and always accurate at the shelf and DC level.
