Lowe’s has started testing drone delivery in partnership with DoorDash and Alphabet’s Wing, launching an initial pilot from its store in Matthews, North Carolina, a suburb of Charlotte.
Under the program, eligible customers located near the store can place orders through the DoorDash app and choose Wing’s drone delivery service at checkout. According to Lowe’s, the drones can carry orders weighing approximately 2.5 pounds per flight, with deliveries reaching customers in as little as 20 minutes after leaving the store.
More than 100 stock-keeping units are currently included in the pilot. The selection covers a range of smaller home improvement products, including screwdrivers, painter’s tape and caulk.
The objective is to help customers avoid additional trips to the store for items needed to finish ongoing projects, Lowe’s Vice President of Technology for Stores Rajiv Raghunathan told Supply Chain Dive by email. He also said the company could extend the program to more Lowe’s locations in the future.
The launch comes as drone delivery continues to gain traction across the United States, with retailers and other businesses looking for ways to shorten delivery times while making fulfillment more convenient. Walmart, which also works with Wing, and Amazon have both announced significant expansions of their drone delivery operations this year. The model is also moving beyond retail, with restaurants such as Little Caesars testing drone-based deliveries.
For the home improvement sector, the technology could be particularly useful when customers need a small item quickly to keep a project moving. Seemantini Godbole, Lowe’s chief information and AI officer, said drone delivery can reduce friction in the customer journey and help shoppers complete projects faster.
“By piloting drone delivery, we’re addressing a real project pain point with an innovative solution that is integrated into the retail journey, giving our hometown customers next-generation fulfillment right when they need it,” Godbole said in a press release.
The drone initiative adds another layer to Lowe’s broader effort to expand rapid fulfillment options. The retailer already provides services including curbside pickup and same-day delivery in selected ZIP codes.
Competitor The Home Depot is also expanding its fast-delivery capabilities. Last month, the company announced a nationwide express delivery service offering orders in three hours or less, building on its broader push to improve customer satisfaction through faster fulfillment.
Lowe’s new pilot therefore places drone delivery within a wider shift in home improvement retail, where companies are increasingly using faster and more flexible fulfillment models to keep customers supplied with the products they need without requiring another trip to the store.
