Walmart Made Another Big Announcement That Has People Talking
Walmart has been exploring innovative delivery methods to streamline how customers receive everyday essentials.
Now, Walmart is bringing its delivery partnership with Zipline to Mesquite, Texas, with plans to expand across the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area and beyond.There's never been a better time for food delivery. What began as a necessity during the pandemic has turned into an everyday convenience that many shoppers now can't imagine life without. Retailers and restaurants have continued to expand their options to meet growing demand, allowing customers to get what they need in record time.
Last year, Walmart announced plans to make delivery more efficient through InHome Delivery, a service that brings groceries straight to your kitchen. In the same news release, the retailer also mentioned plans for drone delivery, which was still in development at the time.
After years of trial flights, Walmart has officially launched aerial delivery service in Texas—and the retail giant doesn't plan to stop there.
Walmart has partnered with Zipline, a San Francisco-based company specializing in drone deliveries for health care supplies, restaurants, and groceries. Walmart is joining Zipline's other food-focused partners, which already include Jet's Pizza, Panera, and Sweetgreen. The company uses unmanned aerial vehicles called Platform 2 Zips, or P2 Zips, to bring groceries to eligible homes within a fixed zone. P2 Zips have a 10-mile service radius and can cruise up to 70 miles per hour, meaning your goods can likely arrive faster by drone than they would by traditional methods.
Zipline first launched Walmart service in 2021 in Pea Ridge, Arkansas, a community about ten miles north of Walmart's headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. With sights set on growth, Zipline has started service in Mesquite, Texas, and soon plans to expand its reach across the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, bringing service to millions of Walmart customers. According to its website, Zipline also plans to open up shop in the Seattle-Tacoma area in the future, but no official dates have been announced regarding this expansion.
Getting your groceries delivered by drone is as easy as ordering regular delivery. Those within the service area can schedule and receive their order in as little as 30 minutes. But before you try to get your entire weekly grocery list delivered, it's important to note that the drones can only carry about eight pounds, meaning many items may not be eligible due to size or weight. These speedy deliveries are ideal for last-minute items. (Think: You ran out of milk and planned to make chocolate chip muffins for breakfast, you forgot an essential dinner ingredient, or need over-the-counter cold medicines and chicken noodle soup.)
So, how does it work? All you have to do is add eligible items to your virtual Walmart shopping cart, confirm the drop-off area, and place the order. It's important to note that the drone may not be able to deliver directly to your doorstep. While P2 Zips have the accuracy to land on a space as small as a patio table, with consideration to safety and potential obstacles, you may be asked to select an open space such as your front or back yard, or driveway. When your goods arrive, the drone itself will not land. Instead, it will hover in the air, around 300 feet, and extend a tethered carrier portal to carefully place your items in the drop-off location.
According to the Zipline Fact Sheet, Zips are operated by trained personnel who are qualified to fly in a range of weather, such as 'rain, wind, thunderstorms, cold, and other conditions that would normally slow down automotive transport.' So even if the weather outside is frightful, you will still be able to get your movie snacks.
And, some good news for Walmart+ members: For a limited time, you can enjoy free drone delivery. Non-members, on the other hand, will have to pay a fee of $19.99 per order.
Be sure to keep an eye on the sky, as you never know when delivery drones might land in your neighborhood.
Read the original article on ALLRECIPES
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Palantir Technologies Stock: Analyst Estimates & Ratings
With a market cap of $368.7 billion, Palantir Technologies Inc. (PLTR) builds and deploys advanced software platforms for governments and commercial clients worldwide. Its key products - Gotham, Foundry, Apollo, and the Artificial Intelligence Platform, support data integration, analysis, and operational decision-making across industries and national security sectors. Shares of the Denver, Colorado-based company have significantly outperformed the broader market over the past 52 weeks. PLTR stock has surged 501.5% over this time frame, while the broader S&P 500 Index ($SPX) has gained 17.4%. In addition, shares of Palantir Technologies have climbed 109.7% on a YTD basis, compared to SPX's 8.5% rise. More News from Barchart Here's What Happened the Last Time Novo Nordisk Stock Was This Oversold As SoFi Raises 2025 Guidance, Should You Buy, Sell, or Hold SOFI Stock Here? Earnings Will Be 'Worse Than Expected' for UnitedHealth. How Should You Play UNH Stock Here? Get exclusive insights with the FREE Barchart Brief newsletter. Subscribe now for quick, incisive midday market analysis you won't find anywhere else. Looking closer, PLTR stock has also outpaced the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund's (XLK) 26.1% return over the past 52 weeks and 13.9% increase on a YTD basis. Despite beating Q1 2025 revenue expectations with $883.9 million on May 5, Palantir's shares tumbled 12.1% the next day due to a 10% year-over-year decline in global sales, raising concerns about the sustainability of its international growth. While U.S. sales surged 55% and the company raised its full-year forecast, investors were spooked by signs of weakening demand outside the U.S. For the current fiscal year, ending in December 2025, analysts expect PLTR's EPS to grow 362.5% year-over-year to $0.37. The company's earnings surprise history is mixed. It beat the consensus estimates in one of the last four quarters while missing on three other occasions. Among the 21 analysts covering the stock, the consensus rating is a 'Hold.' That's based on four 'Strong Buys,' 13 'Hold' ratings, one 'Moderate Sell,' and three 'Strong Sells.' On Jul. 10, Wedbush raised its price target on Palantir Technologies to $160, citing strong confidence in the company's AI strategy and maintaining an 'Outperform' rating. As of writing, the stock is trading above the mean price target of $110.72. The Street-high price target of $170 implies a potential upside of 7.6% from the current price levels. On the date of publication, Sohini Mondal did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Cogeco enters wireless market as mobile service launches in Quebec, Ontario
Cogeco Communications Inc. formally launched mobile service in parts of Ontario and Quebec on Wednesday, making it the latest entrant in Canada's wireless market. For years, Cogeco has offered internet, video and wireline phone services across Canada and some U.S. states., with a current total of 1.6 million residential and business subscribers. 'For almost 70 years, Cogeco has been deeply rooted in regional markets. The launch of Cogeco Mobile is not just a new chapter, it's a bold declaration of our unwavering commitment to be a competitive force in Canada,' chief executive Frédéric Perron said in a press release. The expansion into wireless puts it head-to-head with telecom giants Rogers Communications Inc., BCE Inc. and Telus Communications Inc. The initial roll out will be available to new and existing Cogeco internet subscribers who have their own devices in 13 markets in the two provinces: Alma, Magog, Rimouski, Saint-Georges, Saint-Hyacinthe, Saint-Sauveur, Sept-Îles and Trois-Rivières in Quebec and Brockville, Chatham, Cobourg, Cornwall and Welland in Ontario. Its introductory plans come with rollover data, no commitments, no activation fees and no overages, the company said. Cogeco first announced the Canadian launch during its third quarter earnings release on July 15. In a note, National Bank analyst Adam Shine said Cogeco has been exploring wireless on both sides of the border with the spring launch of Breezeline Mobile in the U.S. as a defensive move to bundle with internet and reduce churn in its cable business. Breezeline, the eighth-largest cable operator in the United States, provides internet, video and telephony services in 13 states. The Massachusetts-based subsidiary launched mobile phone service on May 2024 as a pay-as-you-go service with no term contracts or cancellation fees. The telco is leveraging a seven-year mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) regime that launched last year, he said. That policy by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission required incumbent telecoms Rogers, Bell, Telus and Saskatchewan Telecommunications to provide regional wireless carriers with access to their networks for a period of seven years. Cogeco's mobility launch is being carried on TELUS's wholesale wireless network. 'In honouring our regulatory obligations, TELUS is enabling Cogeco's wireless launch by providing wholesale access to our award-winning broadband wireless network,' TELUS chief executive Darren Entwistle said in a press release last week. Rogers raises revenue outlook to reflect MLSE majority stake Why BCE Inc. was forced to cut its dividend and what it means for investors 'We'll now wait to see how existing wireless operators in Canada react to (Cogeco's) arrival on the scene with its introductory offers just as back-to-school gets going and incumbents talk about more discipline,' Shine wrote. • Email: dpaglinawan@
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Bilt's new cards expand options
This story was originally published on Payments Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Payments Dive newsletter. Bilt Technologies, which provides credit cards aimed at rent payments, will revamp its offering next year with its new issuing partner Cardless, pivoting away from its ties to Wells Fargo. Bilt plans to have three cards with Cardless, starting in February, including two new cards with annual fees, as it expands from a single no-fee card, according to a press release earlier this month. The company has sought to build a business offering renters a way to earn loyalty points on their monthly rent payments to landlords. Spokespeople for the companies declined to discuss how the new cards' terms or rewards will differ from the Bilt Rewards card Wells Fargo has issued since 2022. The company has promised more details this fall. The Wells Fargo card, tied to the Mastercard network, touts an ability to earn reward points on rental payments without a transaction fee. Bilt will move card holders from Wells to Cardless in February 2026, according to the July 10 release. Apartment dwellers typically have not paid their monthly rents with credit or debit cards because of the interchange costs landlords would assume, or pass along to tenants, by accepting card payments. The interchange fee terms under the Bilt-Wells agreement meant the bank relied more on non-rent spending for interchange revenue. New York-based Bilt and Wells Fargo found that some cardholders were using the card for their rent and for small charges, like a coffee, to meet a requirement of posting at least five transactions per payment period to earn rewards. Wells Fargo lost as much as $10 million per month on its Bilt card because of such user behaviors, the Wall Street Journal reported in June 2024, citing people familiar with the matter. The bank had predicted that about 65% of spending on the Bilt card would be nonrent, but it turned out that only about 35% of card volumes were for charges not associated with rent, according to the Journal report. Because of the financial losses, San Francisco-based Wells Fargo decided to quit its Bilt partnership three years before the 2029 end date, the Journal reported July 10, citing people familiar with the matter. A Wells Fargo spokesperson declined to comment via email. A Bilt spokesperson said the company declined to comment beyond the July 10 press release that detailed the new cards with Cardless and its latest capital raise. San Francisco-based Cardless, a startup that issues cards for companies including Alibaba Group, Qatar Airways and Simon Property Group, also declined to comment. In effect, Bilt's card offered point rewards coupled with a 30-day free loan, or float, on rent payments for people who did not carry a card balance, reducing income for Wells, said David Robertson, publisher of the Nilson Report, a research publication on the card and payments industry. 'If you're not getting enough people who are revolvers to subsidize the portfolio of the people who are just transactors, you're in trouble, especially on a card that doesn't have the (annual) fee,' Robertson said Wednesday in an interview, adding 'I can't imagine why (Wells Fargo) made the deal to begin with.' Bilt will need to 'tailor the card more to people who use it more broadly and revolve balances to address the revenue shortfall that Wells experienced,' TD Cowen analyst Moshe Orenbuch wrote in a July 23 email. 'We assume that the new manager of the program will design the products to attract consumers that would be more profitable,' he said. Bilt must become its customers' default card and earn top-of-wallet use status if the company and its partners want to generate a successful financial return, Robertson said. Bilt, which is valued at $10.75 billion based on a $250 million capital raise this month, said in the July 10 press release that its revenue will top $1 billion by the first quarter of 2026. The company says its payment platform includes 25% of U.S. apartment buildings and 40,000 merchants. Bilt's '2.0' revamp with Cardless represents the company's foray into a fleet of three tiered card brands. A no-fee card will remain, joined by two cards with annual fees of $95 and $495, respectively. The company is also expanding from rental to mortgage payments, student housing and condominium HOA fees. 'You have to make the rewards component so compelling that it justifies the $495,' Robertson said. 'Maybe the answer to that as a card issuer is in co-partnerships, not cobranding. What kind of deals can you give the cardholder as an incentive for spending that also provide additional value? That might not simply be the bonus points, it might be discounts for you-name-it.' The Bilt-Cardless cards enter a landscape of consumer credit cards in which American Express, Citibank and JPMorgan Chase have all recently announced fee and benefit changes to their premium rewards cards. 'You have Chase and AmEx … raising their annual fees, but also doubling down again in that very competitive world of trying to find out what's the most compelling value proposition to generate spending,' Robertson said. One benefit Bilt might realize, he said, is that banks have raised premium card fees to near $800 annually, 'so $495 doesn't look so bad.' Bilt has 22 travel partners for points redemptions, including 17 airlines and five hotel chains. The points can also be redeemed for gift cards at retailers or to pay for Lyft rides. Former American Express CEO Ken Chenault joined Bilt as board chairman in January 2024, when General Catalyst, the venture capital firm where he serves as chairman, helped to raise $200 million for Bilt. Roger Goodell, the National Football League commissioner, also joined Bilt's board last year. Wells Fargo and Mastercard were among Bilt investors when the company announced a $60 million capital raise in September 2021, along with more than a dozen real estate companies. Recommended Reading JPMorgan, Amex flash new cards
