For more than six years, Walmart has quietly been testing whether drones could reshape the future of retail. Now, the retail giant is ready to make it official: drone delivery is no longer just an experiment—it’s becoming a core part of its growth strategy.

Speaking at the UP.Summit in Bentonville, Arkansas—Walmart’s hometown—Greg Cathey, Senior Vice President of Transformation and Innovation, revealed the company’s ambitious vision: drone delivery will soon be available in “most areas that we operate in.”

While Cathey stopped short of providing a specific timeline, the message was clear: Walmart is shifting gears from pilot projects to large-scale deployment. “The regulatory environment is making it where this can be a viable business for us,” he said.

From Pilot Programs to Scale

Walmart has already surpassed 300,000 drone deliveries, doubling its volume since June. This milestone reflects growing consumer adoption and confidence, alongside Walmart’s own determination to cement drones as a “really important” pillar of its last-mile delivery strategy.

The company has expanded partnerships with Alphabet’s Wing, a leader in drone logistics, to deliver from 100 stores across cities including Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa. “One hundred stores is just the start,” Cathey emphasized, announcing that drone delivery would also expand into Northwest Arkansas—including Bentonville, home to Walmart’s original headquarters.

Overcoming Barriers

Despite the momentum, widespread drone delivery is still a few years away. The FAA has only recently proposed rules that would allow drones to fly beyond the operator’s line of sight—an essential step for scaling the technology. The rule is under public review, with implementation expected next year.

Meanwhile, Walmart continues to fine-tune its operational model. Its early partnership with Zipline—best known for transporting blood supplies in Africa—showed the potential of medical and humanitarian drone logistics, while a pilot with DroneUp has since been phased out.

But it’s Wing, backed by Alphabet and one of the few companies permitted to deliver packages beyond visual line of sight in Dallas, that now stands as Walmart’s primary partner for scaling drone operations.

The Business Case for Drones

For years, skeptics questioned whether drone delivery could ever make business sense. Technical limitations, regulatory hurdles, and community concerns slowed progress. But Walmart’s public commitment signals a turning point: America’s largest retailer now sees a clear economic case for the technology.

With over 4,600 stores across the U.S., Walmart has a unique advantage—it can turn thousands of its locations into local drone delivery hubs, creating a scalable last-mile network unmatched by competitors.

Retail’s Next Frontier

If successful, Walmart’s move could redefine convenience, customer expectations, and even the competitive landscape of retail. What started as a solution for fast, small-package delivery could evolve into an ecosystem where drones are as common as delivery vans.

After a decade of trials, the future of retail may finally be ready to take flight.