Walmart is going big on drone deliveries and AI-assisted shopping, thanks to Google’s parent company
Go big or go home, as they say
🤝 Walmart has announced partnerships with Google’s parent company, Alphabet, in two key areas
🤖 It’s expanding its partnership with Wing, the Alphabet-owned drone delivery service, to bring drone delivery to 150 more Walmart locations
📈 Wing and Walmart want to serve up to 40 million customers with a network of 270 locations by 2027
🛍️ Walmart is also partnering with Google’s Gemini AI to allow users to purchase items through Gemini with Walmart handling orders
Walmart has announced some big partnerships with Google’s parent company, Alphabet, in recent days that see the supermarket brand take some big leaps with drones and AI-assisted shopping.
According to a press release, the Alphabet-owned drone delivery firm Wing has announced a large expansion of operations with Walmart, with drone delivery services available at 150 more Walmart locations in metro areas such as Los Angeles, St Louis, Cincinnati and Miami.
Wing also said that its top 25 percent of customers have ordered delivery drones up to three times a week, and to keep up with growing demand, the partnership with Walmart will serve up to 40 million US customers with a network of 270 delivery locations by 2027.
This latest announcement follows a rapid expansion of Wing and Walmart’s collaboration. The partnership was first established in August 2023, with an expansion to 100 more stores in Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston and Tampa in June 2025.
Wing had previously broken into the US market by working with Walgreens in April 2022 and has since partnered with DoorDash.
Alongside expanding the scope for its delivery drone operations, Walmart has partnered with Alphabet in another area – AI-assisted shopping, thanks to Google’s Gemini platform.
With this partnership, customers will be able to purchase items via Walmart using Gemini’s browser or mobile app “in the coming months,” according to an interview with David Guggina, chief e-commerce officer of Walmart US.
The selection of products available will include apparel, consumables, entertainment and food products that are available at both Walmart and Sam’s Club. Customers can build a basket and purchase items directly with Gemini, with Walmart handling orders, according to Guggina. Fresh, frozen and Walmart marketplace items aren’t included at the moment.
Customers will also be able to ask Gemini for tips and suggestions on items, such as which product best fits their needs, and the AI will respond with a curated selection of products that can be purchased directly.
Moreover, Gemini will be able to respond to queries that aren’t shopping-specific, assessing people’s purchase intent to recommend items. For instance, a general query about how to remove a wine stain from a rug could lead the AI to recommend related products sold on Walmart.
The news of Walmart getting in on AI-assisted shipping isn’t the first we’ve heard of the idea. Target has recently been working with OpenAI, while Amazon has been using it to help you decide what to buy, plus integrated it with its introduction of Video Recaps on Prime Video, and more besides.
Up next: Disney and OpenAI just announced a huge $1bn licensing deal for Sora AI
Reece Bithrey is a journalist with bylines for Trusted Reviews, Digital Foundry, PC Gamer, TechRadar and more. He also has his own blog, UNTITLED, and graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in International History and Politics in 2023.