Alphabet-owned Wing, a drone delivery service, is poised to revolutionize the delivery industry by competing with ground transportation through its innovative technology. The service promises to deliver millions of packages in mere minutes — a mission that could significantly disrupt traditional delivery methods.
As of Dec. 18, Wing has partnered with the Lewisville Walmart Supercenter serving the community in Texas. Shannon Nash, Wing’s CFO, says the service caters to last-minute needs — like forgotten spices for dinner or items for holiday parties — while emphasizing the value of speed and efficiency in delivery.
Nash spoke to rolling out about the cost of the service and what consumers can expect.
From your research, what is one of the most popular items for delivery?
Many might guess groceries, but it’s coffee. People want their specialty coffee when they wake up or when they’re craving it. Coffee is a popular item for delivery. However, convenience items are also common. For instance, you might be cooking dinner and realize you forgot the spices. Instead of taking 30 minutes to an hour to fetch them, you could have them delivered quickly. This concept of speed and efficiency is particularly relevant during the holiday season when people might forget items for their holiday parties. We’re seeing many such use cases with our fast-mile delivery service, which provides significant value to consumers.
How much will the drone service cost?
The cost is still in flux as we roll out our drone service. There are many promotions and other factors to consider. However, I believe the cost of the [Wing] drone service will be competitive compared to current delivery service costs. As drone services scale and become more normalized, the cost will likely be less than traditional delivery methods. This is because drones are lightweight, autonomous and less expensive to operate than trucks or cars. Therefore, drone delivery will be competitive in speed, cost and efficiency.
