Walgreens & Alphabet Launch Inaugural Drone Deliveries In DFW

Walgreens, one of the nation’s oldest and well-known pharmacy chains, has had an astounding last few years. In addition to providing numerous retail services to communities during the Covid-19 pandemic, the company has also committed to robust innovation, including its bold move into value-based primary care in partnership with VillageMD.

In its latest venture, Walgreens announced earlier this month that it will be working with Alphabet’s (Google’s parent company) subsidiary, Wing, to launch drone delivery services in the first major U.S. city.

The service, which is initially launching in the Dallas Ft. Worth (DFW) metroplex, is meant to be a pilot, as the company eventually hopes to expand drone delivery to other cities. The entire process has been systematically designed: “Customers in the DFW area will be able to order via Wing’s mobile app. Walgreens team members will then be notified of incoming orders on Wing-provided tablets and will locate the items on the shelves and package them. After attending training validated by the FAA, they have been cleared to attach these packages to the drones, which are waiting on charging pads in the parking lot. Once attached, Wing associates oversee delivery to doorsteps, backyards or whatever preferred location customers choose at their home.”

I’ve written about Wing in the past, and how Alphabet has invested in the technology to make it one of the most robust drone systems in the world. Indeed, drone technology, especially for supply chain and distribution systems, is quickly becoming commonplace. For example, Amazon, one of the largest retailers in the world, is rapidly expanding its drone technology with the hopes of making its PrimeAir delivery service mainstream. Walmart has similarly invested in its own partnerships, also aiming to eventually utilize drones for its delivery services. Indeed, this seems to be the way of the future.

This venture by Walgreens and Alphabet will assuredly be successful. Walgreens’ mission is to create the most convenience for its customers as possible. Drones will allow goods to be delivered to customers even faster than curbside pickup and delivery by third party vendors, dawning a new era of customer fulfillment logistics.

Alphabet is equally due for success with this partnership. As the company irons out its offerings in this space and perfects its technology, the potential to work with numerous companies across a variety of industries is astounding. Apart from retail uses, drones have already proven their value in a plethora of other applications, including healthcare delivery, security, tactical warfare, and surveillance. Without a doubt, this is just the start to Alphabet’s ventures in this industry.

Undoubtedly, this partnership between Walgreens and Alphabet is just the beginning of drone use in the commercial realm. If drone technology can indeed be safely, securely, and efficiently developed, it stands to provide value to billions of people worldwide.