....in Virginia town as Alphabet's drone delivery service Wing begins
more at
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...-Virginia.html
https://videos.dailymail.co.uk/previ...7038772587.mp4
*Alphabet teams up with Walgreens, FedEx, and local grocer Super Magnolia
•Customers can choose from 100 different products and pre-built packages
•They can order over-the-counter medication, but not prescriptions
After years of development, Alphabet's drone delivery service Wing is officially
open for business.
The company announced the beginning of service for residents of Christiansburg,
Virginia, who will be able to order over-the-counter medication, snacks, and
other small items and have them airlifted straight to their homes by a drone.
Initially, Wing will deliver goods on behalf of three partner companies with
FedEx, Walgreens, and Super Magnolia, a local Virginia grocery store chain.
The company made the announcement via a blog post on Medium and included a video
showing how the delivery service will work.
The FAA approved Alphabet's drone delivery program in March, and the company
announced it's plans for 'store to door' of more than 100 products in Virginia
last September.
'Walgreens continues to explore partnerships to transform and modernize our
customer experience and we are proud to be the first retailer in the U.S. to
offer an on-demand commercial drone delivery option with Wing,' said Vish
Sankaran, chief innovation officer, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., in a press
release in September.
'With a customer-led focus, we continue to create differentiated shopping
experiences that provide the products and services consumers need wherever,
whenever and however they may want them.
'This is the kind of omni-channel partnership and offering that can redefine
convenience for our customers and communities – delivering items to homes in
minutes, not hours or days.'
Christiansburg is in the vicinity of Wing's testing zone, where it has been
testing drone delivery as part of the U.S. Department of Transportation's
Integration Pilot Program since 2016.
'Although currently a pilot in one market, Walgreens is in a unique position to
capitalize on the convenience of drone delivery if and when it should expand,
with approximately 78 percent of the U.S. population living within five miles of
a Walgreens-owned store,' states the release.
'The Wing partnership is a strong complement to other successful Walgreens
collaborations.'
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