Omni Talk Retail Walmart's 270+ Store Drone Expansion & Why Everyone Wants Deliveries in 25-45 Minutes | NRF 2025
In this Omni Talk Retail episode, recorded live from NRF 2026 in the Vusion podcast studio, Greg Cathey, SVP of Digital Fulfillment Transformation at Walmart, reveals how customer demand is driving the company's massive drone delivery expansion to 270+ stores coast-to-coast and why everyone, not just one demographic, is using the service.
From dynamic delivery windows (25-45 minutes instead of static promises) to surprising use cases like fur baby treats and birthday party surprise-and-delight moments, Greg breaks down how Walmart is using AI for routing in sub-4,000 population Texas towns and intelligent substitutions. He shares insights on environmental benefits of taking vehicles off Atlanta roads, why mayors are requesting the technology for their cities, and how proximity remains Walmart's superpower serving 90% of the US population within 10 miles.
If you've wondered what purposeful drone delivery looks like at scale, this conversation delivers the real-world data.
๐ Topics covered:
-270+ stores getting drone delivery: Dallas to Miami to LA (coast-to-coast program)
-Wing partnership expansion announced with Google/Alphabet
-Customer demand driving expansion: "When is it coming to my neighborhood?"
-Dynamic delivery windows: 25-45 minutes vs. static 1-hour promises
-Use cases: forgotten items, childcare essentials, pet treats, birthday surprise & delight
-All demographics using drones (not just one cohort)
-Environmental benefits: removing vehicles from congested metro roads
-AI-powered routing reaching sub-4,000 population
-Texas towns with sub-30 minute delivery
-AI substitutions when items unavailable 95% of country covered with 3-hour or less delivery
-Proximity superpower: stores within 10 miles of 90% of US population
-Rising customer expectations across ALL demographics (everyone is time-starved)
๐ง Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more retail insights!
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