Walmart launches drone delivery in Texas, Florida and Arizona

Walmart has launched a drone delivery service for customers in Florida, Texas and Arizona as the grocery chain expands its delivery operations.

Customers in the Dallas, Phoenix, Tampa and Orlando areas are able to have same-day delivery via drone, Walmart announced earlier this month.

Walmart expanded its partnership with the tech company DroneUp to deliver groceries after previously working together to distribute COVID-19 test kits. 

In May, the grocery chain said it would use DroneUp to deliver up to 10 pounds of items within 30 minutes for a $3.99 fee.

Walmart said at the time its goal was to expand drone delivery to 4 million homes in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Utah and Virginia by the end of 2023.

Certified pilots will use the drones to deliver the products within FAA guidelines, Walmart said.

The push for drone delivery comes as online grocery shopping has more than doubled since the start of the COVID pandemic, according to an Adobe report.