Popular Articles
Today Week Month Year


LAYOFFS INCOMING: Walmart teams up with Wings for high-speed drone deliveries to 60,000 homes in Dallas
By Laura Harris // Aug 31, 2023

Retail giant Walmart has announced a new partnership with Wing, an on-demand drone delivery provider powered by Google parent company Alphabet, to offer drone delivery services from two of its branches in Dallas to 60,000 customers in the area.

The Walmart Supercenter, located in Frisco, Texas, is set to pioneer the drone delivery service while a second Walmart store is scheduled to join later this year.

To access the service, customers need to download the Wing app and input their home address. Customers living within a six-mile radius of the supported stores can enjoy the convenience of ordering groceries, quick meals, over-the-counter medicines and essential household items. The drones can also deliver delicate items like eggs and frozen treats with its retractable tether mechanism.

Moreover, it transports small packages weighing up to 2.6 pounds with a speed of up to 65 mph and delivery time in less than 30 minutes.

The drones, predominantly automated and remotely monitored, allow operators to manage the system from a remote location without on-site pilots. Thus, the delivery service provides swift and convenient access to different essential goods.

Walmart launched its drone delivery journey in 2020, and since then, it has formed strategic partnerships with drone service providers like DroneUP, Zipline and Flytrex. This collaborative approach has facilitated the expansion of drone operations to 36 Walmart stores across seven states, namely Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Utah and Virginia.

Shift in drone delivery services causes job layoffs

As drone technology becomes more prevalent, discussions surrounding the displacement of certain job roles are gaining traction.

For instance, DroneUp, a Virginia-based drone delivery company serving as a key partner for Walmart's drone delivery services, announced a series of job cuts in May. The company, founded in 2016, specializes in last-mile delivery through its fleet of quadcopter drones that transport items from warehouses directly to the doorsteps. (Related: Layoff saga continues as 12 more companies announce mass employment terminations.)

DroneUp, with a workforce of 418 people, has recently undergone a round of layoffs affecting several departments within the company.

While the specifics of the affected positions have not been disclosed officially, insiders have indicated that roles such as flight engineers, instructors, flight and development service engineers, business analysts, marketing managers and the director of business development were among those impacted by the cuts.

DroneUp CEO Tom Walker addressed concerns stemming from these layoffs, emphasizing that they constitute only a "small percentage of the team." Walker explained that these measures are part of a strategic shift in the company's focus, moving away from enterprise services like real estate inspections and aerial data capture and putting greater emphasis on the drone delivery of consumer goods.

Walker expressed optimism about the company's future, assuring that the growth trajectory of its drone delivery services will lead to a net increase in employment opportunities. He stated that the increased demand for drone delivery services will ultimately result in the company "hiring more people than were laid off."

At present, DroneUp operates 36 hubs located within Walmart stores, facilitating drone deliveries within a 1.5-mile radius of each store. This localized approach has contributed to the significant adoption of drone delivery services by consumers.

"Following the widespread acceptance of our drone delivery services among consumers, we have made the strategic decision to reshape our business model. This restructuring aligns our company structure with the ongoing expansion and success of our drone delivery and related services from our hubs," Walker concluded.

Visit EconomicRiot.com for more news related to mass layoffs.

Watch the video below that talks about mass layoffs causing a loss of confidence in the U.S. dollar.

This video is from the What is happening channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Job APOCALYPSE continues: Layoffs announced at Walmart’s drone delivery partner.

Coinbase announces second mass layoff – 20% of workers to lose jobs.

Amazon to fire 10,000 employees in biggest layoff in company’s history.

Sources include: 

ZeroHedge.com

FoxBusiness.com

FreightWaves.com

Brighteon.com



Take Action:
Support NewsTarget by linking to this article from your website.
Permalink to this article:
Copy
Embed article link:
Copy
Reprinting this article:
Non-commercial use is permitted with credit to NewsTarget.com (including a clickable link).
Please contact us for more information.
Free Email Alerts
Get independent news alerts on natural cures, food lab tests, cannabis medicine, science, robotics, drones, privacy and more.

NewsTarget.com © 2022 All Rights Reserved. All content posted on this site is commentary or opinion and is protected under Free Speech. NewsTarget.com is not responsible for content written by contributing authors. The information on this site is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice of any kind. NewsTarget.com assumes no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material. Your use of this website indicates your agreement to these terms and those published on this site. All trademarks, registered trademarks and servicemarks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.

This site uses cookies
News Target uses cookies to improve your experience on our site. By using this site, you agree to our privacy policy.
Learn More
Close
Get 100% real, uncensored news delivered straight to your inbox
You can unsubscribe at any time. Your email privacy is completely protected.