Grocery retailer giant Walmart is reportedly seeking approval from the US government to test drones for its future plans to make home deliveries and grocery pickups. According to Fortune, the move appears to be a direct hit against main competitor Amazon.com. Amazon is said to be also testing drones to provide similar services for its online goods.
In its application to the Federal Aviation Administration, Walmart said, “With this application, Walmart seeks to continue its role in not only making the present distribution system more efficient … but also to conduct research and development to support the future extension of that distribution system direct to customers.”
Bloomberg added that based on the filing, Walmart is also seeking the possibility of using drones to track its merchandise. The company is hoping that with the use of drones, it will allow them to take inventory of trailers located outside of its primary distribution centers. Spokesman Brian Nick was quoted as saying that until it has conducted the tests, the company will make known whether they will utilize drones in the future in its operations.
