Walmart gets ahead of Amazon in the United States and puts Costco in trouble: confirmed

What seemed like science fiction a few years ago is now landing in the backyards of thousands of homes. Walmart has started operating drone deliveries in five major cities in the southern United States. With this, it has sent a clear signal to its competitors: the logistics of the future are no longer on solid ground.

For some time, Walmart has been working to make its deliveries faster, but this step marks a turning point. With help from Wing — a subsidiary of Alphabet, Google's parent company — the chain no longer relies solely on vans or couriers. Now, smaller orders literally arrive by air.

The new phase of this program is rolling out in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, and Tampa. Each drone can cover a radius of 3.7 mi. (6 km) around participating stores. The goal is to deliver products in less than 30 minutes, something unthinkable with traditional methods in densely populated areas or with heavy traffic.

This isn't an experiment. Walmart had already completed more than 150,000 drone deliveries in areas like Dallas-Fort Worth and northwest Arkansas since 2021. But this is the first time it's expanding the operation on a massive scale. By the end of the year, more than 100 stores are expected to have this technology active.

This move isn't just about offering speed; it's also about strengthening the relationship with the customer. The company believes that the more convenient and agile the shopping process is, the greater the loyalty will be. It's a clear bet to win over the modern consumer, who is used to immediacy.

Walmart Puts Costco in Trouble

Meanwhile, while Walmart is looking to the future, others seem to be stuck in the present. Costco, its main rival in the warehouse and wholesale segment, doesn't yet have a similar strategy. Its model, based on large stores on the outskirts and bulk sales, isn't prepared for delivery in minutes.

That's the key difference. Walmart has a much more extensive network, with stores located near residential areas. That proximity allows drones to take off from strategic locations without modifying its infrastructure. For Costco, replicating this would require a complete transformation.

In addition, Walmart doesn't need to convince its customers to change their shopping style. It's just making what they already do easier: ordering what they need from home, but faster. If this system takes hold, it could change the habits of millions of people who still wait in line or plan weekly trips to large stores today.

For now, the buzzing of drones can be heard only in a few cities. But their expansion is already underway. Every delivery that lands in a yard doesn't just leave a package. It also leaves a warning for the competition: adapting is no longer an option, it's an urgent need.