Doug McMillon steps down as Walmart CEO; John Farner named as successor
Doug McMillon will retire as Walmart’s CEO in 2026 and be replaced by John Farner, head of the company’s U.S. division.
Walmart’s drone delivery service is getting off to a good start in one city.
Starting December 3, Walmart will begin drone deliveries in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area, according to a news release.
In June, the company announced it would expand its existing drone delivery service, which was previously only available in two cities. Atlanta is the first of the five cities to benefit from the expansion.
Walmart is touting drone delivery as a more convenient and faster way to get products to customers’ doors. This is made possible through a partnership with Wing, a drone company and subsidiary of Google’s parent company Alphabet.
Walmart first began testing drone delivery in 2020 and rolled it out the following year, but it’s far from the only company to do so. Amazon, Chipotle, and DoorDash, among others, are some of the big-name brands that utilize drone services for deliveries.
Where does Walmart deliver by drone?
Walmart announced it will add six stores in the Atlanta metropolitan area to its drone delivery service. It is already available in the Dallas, Texas, and Bentonville, Arkansas areas.
The following stores are participating in drone delivery in metro Atlanta.
- Walmart #575, 12182 Highway 92, Woodstock, GA
- Walmart #2475, 1436 Dogwood Dr, Conyers, GA
- Walmart #618, 4166 Jimmy Lee Smith Pkwy, Hiram, GA
- Walmart #3403, 3615 Charles Hardy Pkwy, Dallas, GA
- Walmart #3201, 135 Willow Ln, McDonough, GA
- Walmart #5252, 4221 Atlanta Hwy, Loganville, GA
Walmart drone delivery begins in more cities
In addition to Atlanta, Walmart announced that it will soon launch drone deliveries in four other cities. This expansion will enable drone delivery to a total of 100 stores, including six in Atlanta.
Here are the cities you can look out for Walmart drones in the near future.
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- houston texas
- Orlando, Florida
- tampa, florida
How does Walmart drone delivery work?
Walmart says its drone deliveries can arrive in as little as 30 minutes after an order is placed, and the average drone flight time is less than five minutes.
The Wing drone can carry up to about 2 pounds and fly at about 90 miles per hour. According to Walmart, the most common items delivered by drone are fruit, eggs, pet food, and ice cream.
Here’s how to use the service:
- Check if your address is eligible for delivery at wing.com/walmart
- If you’re eligible, download the Wing mobile app
- Place your order and check your delivery location
- The drone will fly towards you and lower the package to the ground
Melina Khan is USA TODAY’s national trends reporter. Contact her at melina.khan@usatoday.com.
