A new delivery service is spreading its wings across Tampa Bay so groceries can be dropped off at your doorstep.

Walmart has filed plans with Hillsborough County to add drone delivery operations to seven stores. The retail giant has partnered with drone provider Wing to offer the service.

A Walmart spokesperson told the Tampa Bay Business Journal in December that Walmart has not finalized the stores where the drone delivery service will be offered, but potential locations are being evaluated. Walmart and Wing have begun engaging with local government officials across the metro area as part of the process.

The addresses of the Tampa area Walmart stores that have filed plans for the delivery service are:

Plans were first filed with Hillsborough County on Nov. 4 and have continued since Dec. 19.

Walmart filed plans with Pasco County in late November to add drone delivery operations to one store at 8745 Little Road in New Port Richey.

Around 12 to 18 Wing drones are based at a “nest” constructed in the parking lot of each Walmart location. The “nest” is equipped with charging pads, on which the electric drones rest while not in use. Wing operates within Federal Aviation Administration guidelines and can fly its drones within a 6-mile aircraft range from the store.

In June, the Arkansas-based retail giant announced that Tampa, Orlando, Atlanta, Charlotte and Houston are among the cities included in the expansion to launch within a year. Atlanta’s drone delivery services launched in early December.

Drone delivery in Tampa explained

The company said in a June news release that it’s the first retailer to scale drone delivery across five states. Prior to this expansion, the service was offered in Walmart's home base of Northern Arkansas and Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas.

Wing’s pilots oversee multiple drones at multiple facilities at the same time, and the company has command centers where pilots manage the drone operations, according to Wing’s website.

Items ordered by customers are packed into a specialized box before a Wing delivery drone takes off at the local Walmart store, retrieves the order and travels to a customer’s home or other drop-off point.

The drones fly around 65 mph and need a space about the size of a picnic blanket to make a delivery. The drone, upon reaching its destination, will check for obstacles near the selected delivery zone and can move to avoid obstacles before gently lowering the order on a tether.

Products are delivered in 30 minutes or less. The drones can deliver groceries, health products and household items, according to the release. Popular delivered items include eggs, fruit, pet food and ice cream.

Walmart and Wing are expanding the service to an additional 100 Walmart stores, according to the release.

By Madalyn Blair – Reporter, Tampa Bay Business Journal