Wing and Walmart Start Drone Delivery in the Memphis Area

Drone delivery company Wing and US retail chain Walmart have started delivering goods by drone across the Memphis region in Tennessee and neighboring Arkansas. Memphis is Wing's first market in Tennessee. The service is part of the two companies' wider US expansion and covers tens of thousands of homes around three Walmart Supercenter stores.

Residents can order thousands of everyday items, including groceries, household goods and baby products. According to Wing, orders can reach a customer's yard in as little as 30 minutes. The launch follows the start of service in Charlotte in October. Wing also recently announced an investment of up to $125 million in US drone manufacturing to support the expansion.

Where the service is available

The delivery area surrounds three stores: Store #950 in Bartlett and Store #2322 in Cordova, both in Tennessee, and Store #70 in West Memphis, Arkansas. Eligibility can be checked in the Walmart app or at wing.com/walmart, and addresses outside the area can join a waitlist. Orders can be placed through the Walmart app, Walmart.com or the Wing app.

Wing chief business officer Heather Rivera said local families now have a faster, more convenient option for last-minute groceries and daily necessities, while helping ease neighborhood traffic.

Aircraft specifications

According to the company, its drones cruise at 150 to 200 feet at up to 60 mph. At a home, the drone hovers at about 23 feet and lowers the package on a tether. Average flight times are five minutes or less. The aircraft currently carry up to 2.75 pounds per trip, and Wing plans to raise this to five pounds soon, without giving a timeline.

Plans through 2027

Wing says it has completed more than 1 million deliveries this year. With Walmart, it now offers drone delivery to more than three million customers in Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta, Houston, Charlotte, Orlando and Memphis. The companies plan to reach nearly 20 major US metro areas by 2027, including Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver and Miami, with the network on track to serve 40 million residents.