Concord residents within about six miles of the Walmart Supercenter at 150 Concord Commons Pl. SW can now get groceries, household supplies and over-the-counter medicine delivered by drone.
Walmart and Wing, a drone delivery company, launched the service from seven Charlotte-area stores on Wednesday, Oct. 21, the Charlotte Observer first reported. The Concord Commons location is one of the seven.
Orders can arrive in as little as 30 minutes, according to Wing's website. The drones fly autonomously, cruising at 150 to 200 feet, according to DroneXL. At the delivery point, they hover about 23 feet above the ground and lower packages on a tether, the Observer reported. Customers need a clear outdoor area about the size of a picnic blanket.
The service is free for now.
"There's no waiting at a red light when you're in the sky," Tom Kuhn, Wing's head of communications, told the Charlotte Observer.
Packages are capped at about 2.5 pounds, Kuhn told the Observer. Eligible items include select groceries, meals, household supplies and over-the-counter medicines. Flammable goods, alcohol and pharmaceuticals are excluded, DroneXL reported.
How to order
Customers can check whether their address qualifies at wing.com/charlotte. If eligible, they download the Wing app, place an order and choose a delivery spot. The drone option also appears in the Walmart app and on Walmart.com for addresses within the service area, according to WSOC-TV.
What it costs
Drone delivery is free for a limited time across the Charlotte region, according to Walmart. Outside the promotion, the standard price is $19.99 per delivery for nonmembers. Walmart+ members also receive free delivery during a separate limited-time offer, WSOC-TV reported.
Privacy and safety
WCNC Charlotte reported that the drones will fly over residential neighborhoods, raising questions about cameras and personal information. A Wing representative told WCNC the aircraft's sensors are used for navigation and delivery-zone safety, not surveillance, and that the drones do not have a live video feed monitored by a pilot.
If a drone malfunctions, Wing said it has backup systems to return the aircraft to its departure point. If it cannot make it back, the drone will descend to a safe location away from people and traffic, according to WCNC.
What's next
The Concord store joins locations in Charlotte, Gastonia, Kannapolis, Kings Mountain, Lincolnton and Shelby. Two more Charlotte stores are expected to come online within weeks. The Charlotte-area stores are part of 60 Walmart locations nationwide now offering drone delivery, with a target of more than 270 stores by the end of 2027, DroneXL reported.
