# Drone Delivery Tests What 20 Minutes Is Worth

> Retailers test if ultrafast drone delivery can turn small purchases into urgent value.
- Title: Drone Delivery Tests What 20 Minutes Is Worth · Pymnts
- Summary: Retailers test if ultrafast drone delivery can turn small purchases into urgent value. Lowe’s and Walmart test drone delivery in 20-23 minutes to find what…
- Keywords: lowes, walmart, doordash, alp, wing, drone delivery, ultrafast delivery, 20 minutes, 23 minutes, autonomous delivery, business, finance
- Source: Pymnts — https://pymnts.com/news/delivery/2026/drone-delivery-tests-what-20-minutes-is-worth
- Author: PYMNTS
- Published: 2026-09-25T21:07:32+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: lowes, walmart, doordash, alp, wing, drone delivery, ultrafast delivery, 20 minutes, 23 minutes, autonomous delivery, business, finance
## Drone Delivery Tests What 20 Minutes Is Worth
Lowe’s tests drone delivery of small home improvement products in as little as 20 minutes in Charlotte, North Carolina.
## Walmart Surpasses 1 Million Drone Deliveries
Walmart passed 1 million drone deliveries with 40% occurring in fiscal Q1 2027 and an average delivery time of 23 minutes.
## Barclays Estimates Future Delivery Costs
Barclays estimated autonomous food delivery costs could eventually fall to about $1 per order in mature markets.
## Urgent Purchases Change Customer Value
A missing drill bit can stop a project, pain relievers are needed for a fever, and a charging cable has higher value at 8 a.m. than later.
## Drone Delivery Tests Economic Viability
Drone delivery tests whether retailers can turn the urgency of small purchases into workable last-mile economics.
## Walmart’s Usage Shifts Over Time
Walmart’s early drone orders were driven by novelty, but customers later used drones for urgent needs.
## DoorDash Orders Take Longer
DoorDash orders between three and five miles take nearly 25% longer than shorter deliveries due to driver matching.
## Drone Delivery Could Reduce Costs
Drone delivery may remove orders from traditional delivery networks where driver time makes small purchases expensive.
## Key takeaway

Lowe’s and Walmart test drone delivery in 20-23 minutes to find what small purchases cost customers to wait for.