Walmart's Drone Deliveries Expand, Now in Five Different US States (cnbc.com) 43
"Walmart is bringing drone deliveries to three more states," reports CNBC:
On Thursday, the big-box retailer said it plans to launch the speedier delivery option at 100 stores in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando and Tampa within the coming year. With the expansion, Walmart's drone deliveries will be available in a total of five states: [parts of northwest] Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and [the Dallas-Fort Worth area of] Texas... The drone operator will have an up to a six-mile range from stores.
Walmart tells CNBC the most frequently delivered items include ice cream, fresh fruit, and pet food, as well as "urgent items, such as hamburger buns for a cookout, eggs to make brownies or Tylenol or cold medicine needed when sick." It's all part of Walmart's effort to compete with Amazon: With more than 4,600 Walmart stores across the U.S., the retailer has used its large footprint to get online orders to customers faster. It has an Express Delivery service that drops purchases at customers' doors in as fast as 30 minutes, along with InHome, a subscription-based service, that puts items directly into people's fridges. The company began same-day prescription deliveries last fall and has expanded the service across the country.... Walmart stores have an assortment of over 150,000 items in a location. Over 50% of those can be delivered by drone, said Greg Cathey [Walmart's senior VP for U.S. transformation and innovation]...
Walmart's drone delivery count so far is modest. The company did not share the specific count, but said it has racked up a total of more than 150,000 drone deliveries since 2021.
Walmart tells CNBC the most frequently delivered items include ice cream, fresh fruit, and pet food, as well as "urgent items, such as hamburger buns for a cookout, eggs to make brownies or Tylenol or cold medicine needed when sick." It's all part of Walmart's effort to compete with Amazon: With more than 4,600 Walmart stores across the U.S., the retailer has used its large footprint to get online orders to customers faster. It has an Express Delivery service that drops purchases at customers' doors in as fast as 30 minutes, along with InHome, a subscription-based service, that puts items directly into people's fridges. The company began same-day prescription deliveries last fall and has expanded the service across the country.... Walmart stores have an assortment of over 150,000 items in a location. Over 50% of those can be delivered by drone, said Greg Cathey [Walmart's senior VP for U.S. transformation and innovation]...
Walmart's drone delivery count so far is modest. The company did not share the specific count, but said it has racked up a total of more than 150,000 drone deliveries since 2021.
Law #1 anywhere: Disturbing the peace (Score:4, Interesting)
If you're in the middle of nowhere, I get it, and can see the utility. But I guarantee the desire for profit will push this too far in the more-populated areas--it's what they do.
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Most of the noise a modern vehicle makes is ground contact, so even electrics going down the road produce quite a lot of racket.
I don't disagree with you that drones be-they quad-copters or coolers on wheels with robotic arms constantly rolling down the walk will be an irritant. I guess the question is do you prefer an ever increasing number of deliver vans complete with their backup warning beeps, doors being slammed, etc at all hours?
Recalling my suburban neighborhood as a kid, after rush hours streets we
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Most of the noise that a Kia or Hyundai makes is artificial. The bullshit noise they make that sounds like water running in pipes and which I experience mostly as painful pressure in my head is louder than most ICEVs. Do these delivery vans make bullshit noises they don't need to as well?
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when rolling along at 25mph+ most of the noise they make is tire/road noise, and that *can* be true for an ICE vehicle as well.
If you are person trying to have an evening conversation in yard with a fried or family member, or small creature working on a nest in the garden, the constant parade of vehicles is a disturbance. Perhaps not an intolerable one by any means but I have never heard anyone say they wished more cars and trucks would drive past their house.
The market appears to have decided that people
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when rolling along at 25mph+ most of the noise they make is tire/road noise, and that *can* be true for an ICE vehicle as well.
I have personal experience which proves that you are factually incorrect. Literally the only time when Kia/Hyundai EVs make more tire noise than artificial noise is when they are moving quickly enough for the artificial noisemaker to shut off. I know this to be true because there are two of the fuckers on my street and the noisemaker absolutely, positively, and conclusively drowns out the tire noise any time it is active, from any vantage point and range. I have heard it in every conceivable context down to
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I have personal experience which proves that you are factually incorrect.
No you don't because the safety noise makers cut off at 18-19mph. So you absolutely do not have have experience. Why was that point chosen, because that is about the point where typical noise of a tire on the road surface is a louder than the typical idle engine with contemporary stock exhaust..
Re: Law #1 anywhere: Disturbing the peace (Score:2)
Thanks for agreeing with me, and also being a cautionary tale of illiteracy.
Re: Law #1 anywhere: Disturbing the peace (Score:2)
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I wonder if they make a different noise in the US. The European ones don't sound like water at all.
Re: Law #1 anywhere: Disturbing the peace (Score:2)
Like water running in pipes, not like a stream.
I don't know if they make a different noise in the UK, but I sure hope they do, because this one gives me a headache.
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Let's not add to it. And, yes, we should decrease road noise. Build more and better public transport; and let your precious, snowflake children walk to school or take the bus.
Re:Law #1 anywhere: Disturbing the peace (Score:4, Funny)
I remember when people on Slashdot were predicting they would all be shot down and the goods stolen. Are you telling me the main sound isn't shotguns and rifles being fired every time one flies overhead?
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Americans hardly have a lock on that argument (c.f. The anti-car Europeans and their walkable cities, public transportation bullshit),
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nah that's stright up cope, most europeans in cities know americans dont have public transit like they do but american suburbatoids think their lifestyle is the one-true-lifestyle and if everyone doesnt live that way then they damn well should
Most Americans don't give a shit about anyone else's lifestyle and just want to be left alone to live theirs.
If you take a poll of a random 10,000 Americans and ask the question, "do you give a shit about how Europeans live?", I bet you will find the response is almost 100% "no".
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What precisely bothers you about "walkable cities, public transportation"? Or is it the fact that it was the Europeans who noticed life was more convenient with walkable cities and public transportation? Do you have these feelings often? Would you like to see a therapist?
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I wrote about it at length in another topic just earlier today. If you're interested enough, go find it.
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The fact that "walkable cities" scare you indicates the problem is on your end, not your fantasy Europeans.
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If you're in the middle of nowhere, I get it, and can see the utility.
The stated range for drone delivery is "up to six miles from the store". So this isn't happening in the middle of nowhere.
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If someone on slashdot, say, accuses you of TDS?
Happens a lot to you? With such insightful and on-topic posts like that, I can't imagine why!
Re: When will Trump have them bomb you (Score:1)
Hey ICE, does this guy sound like a violent illegal immigrant to you too?
Meh. (Score:4, Funny)
Still waiting on Amazon's Rocket Drove deliveries.
A loud *BOOM* rattles your windows. Looking out front, there's a smoking crater with a small brown box at the bottom, one corner flickering with fire.
minuteman 2 any where in the world in 30 min (Score:2)
minuteman 2 any where in the world in 30 min
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Dumb (Score:1)
Am I the only one that thinks this drone delivery stuff for every day bullshit like hamburger buns is dumb?
I can easily see it for shit that needs to be delivered PDQ, like an oil pump, oil and tools to a guy 200 miles from anywhere, broken down on the side of the road. Sure. Or even just 10 gallons of gas for the poor fucker who ran out of gas on the side of the road. But ice cream and pet food? Seriously?
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I love capitalism.
Not sure what that has to do with anything.
Re: Dumb (Score:1)
Capitalism does dumb shit all day. Virtually nothing about it is sustainable. Almost everything it does is abusive to someone. When you are complaining about this, which is driven purely by capitalism, you're complaining about capitalism whether you know it or not.
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Capitalism is so unsustainable that it's lasted for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. What's unsustainable is the Sun, which will turn into a red giant soon.
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Exactly.
Capitalism is responsible for everything I own. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Re: Dumb (Score:2)
Thus solving the problem forever!
FOREVER!
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I didn't complain about. I judged it as dumb.
I have no complaints about it.
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"a statement that a situation is unsatisfactory or unacceptable."
What prevents you from accessing a dictionary? It's easy and free.
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Americans are lazy. What else needs said?
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That will be some mighty powerful drone that can lift 10 gallons of gas.
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Go big or go home.
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Predator drone. Also, drops the gas right after lighting it on fire.
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A drone capable of carrying either of those payloads for 200 miles and returning to base would be at least as large as a small general aviation aircraft. Then there's the fact that an being able to change out an oil pump would be completely impossible for probably over 90% of the population. Better just to call for a tow truck and settle down to wait for half the day.
Anyone know how Walmart gets around the FAA requirement for visual line of sight operation for drone flights?
I'm Surpised (Score:2)
There are two Walmarts with drone service not far from me. Though the drones in my area look like regular hexa-copters, not the drone pictured by CNBC.
There are 6-8 parking spaces blocked off in the parking lot with a canopy tent, a small utility trailer, and two people in attendance. The drone seems to always be on the ground, and two people dying of boredom, every time I go by. I've never seen it in flight and it's been months and months.
So, I'm surprised that this isn't a huge cost sink and money loser f