Walmart Drone

Walmart And Amazon Drones Battle For Last-Mile Delivery Supremacy

Walmart and Amazon are engaged in a war of delivery drones. Although Amazon may be the largest e-commerce retailer, Walmart may have a structural edge enabling them to deliver groceries and household items by drone more quickly. Both players introduced short-range drones to transport small packages up to 5 pounds. According to Amazon, about 90% of products they sell weigh under 5 pounds.

Walmart claims they have a store within 10 miles of 90% of Americans. Amazon, by contrast, delivers from its fulfillment centers, usually located near major cities. That gives Walmart an edge until Amazon ramps up their rural presence.

Meanwhile, Amazon has patented a futuristic Jetson-style idea for distribution towers that look like beehives. The towers would function as fulfillment centers with landing pads for delivery drones, strategically located near high-density residential towers.

The current need for social distancing has accelerated a paradigm shift from brick-and-mortar stores to online shopping with contact-free delivery.

Read more about the drone war between Walmart and Amazon at:

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/walmart-pilots-drones-to-fly-items-to-consumers-doorsteps
& https://www.freightwaves.com/news/amazon-now-authorized-to-fly-commercial-delivery-drones

(Photo credit: Amazon, via FreightWaves, and Walmart, via FreightWaves)

Amazon Drone in a Field

Amazon Drone

 

Deuce Drone in air with package

Drone Delivery System Aims to Make Mid-Size Retail Chains Competitive With E-Commerce Giants

Deuce Drone announced a test of their last mile delivery system which is intended to make delivery directly from stores to consumers faster and more affordable. Rouses Market, which operates 64 grocery stores in the south, has partnered with Deuce Drone to test a same day delivery system by drones in order to make last mile delivery faster and less costly than vans, so they can compete with Amazon.

Read more at:
https://www.supermarketnews.com/online-retail/rouses-markets-pilot-drone-delivery-groceries

(Image courtesy of: Commercial Drone Professional of Deuce Drone)