Check out the World’s First Rooftop Drone Delivery Service

We’ve teamed up with leading Australian retail property group Vicinity Centres to launch a drone delivery service from the rooftop of a shopping centre. Check it out:

This new model — the first of its kind in the world — offers two important benefits. First, by using existing, traditionally underutilised rooftop space, we can shrink our operational footprint and expand access to drone delivery without needing any additional real estate. Second, this ability to co-locate with a retailer means that they can deliver directly to their customers — meaning more delivery offerings and expanded reach. 

Over the past month we’ve made over 2,500 contactless deliveries straight from the rooftop of the Grand Plaza shopping centre in Logan, Australia to customers in the nearby area. In this pilot program we’ve delivered smoothies from Boost Juice, bubble tea from Chatime and rolls from Sushi Hub. Starting today, we’ll be delivering over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, personal care, general health, and beauty products from TerryWhite Chemmart. All are retailers located at Grand Plaza, now with the ability to reach even more people in the surrounding communities.

Last-mile delivery is one of the most costly segments of the supply chain, accounting for 15 to 20 percent of the total cost of retail transactions in the form of delivery fees or the time spent by consumers picking up their goods. A consumer drone delivery service like Wing can help make last-mile delivery more efficient and more sustainable. It’s estimated that by 2030, if drones were to deliver 4-6 percent of household purchases, retail sales in Australia would grow by $2.2 billion.

Because almost every business has a roof, our new rooftop delivery model opens up the possibility for more businesses to offer drone delivery services with little additional cost or added infrastructure.