Coles and Wing drone deliveries expanded

Coles will be Australia’s first major retailer to offer drone delivery directly from stores to customers’ homes, launching a pilot service in South East Queensland with global on-demand drone delivery company Wing.

From 2 November, customers in a number of Gold Coast suburbs will be among the first to pilot the store-to-door drone delivery model, offering grocery delivery directly from the Coles store at Ormeau Village Shopping Centre. The service will gradually expand to include other suburbs, delivering 500 of the company’s most popular grocery items.

Coles is the first major Australian retailer to trial the store-to-door drone delivery model, with a dedicated fleet of Wing delivery drones co-located in the store car park. The retailer’s team members will process and pack orders, and Wing staff will load the drones and oversee operation of the delivery service.

Coles Head of Network Development and Customer Delivery James Geddes said the company was proud to expand its partnership with Wing with the first-ever store-to-door drone delivery concept in Australia.

“We are delighted to be expanding our drone delivery pilot program with Wing to our Queensland customers. The service will provide a convenient and effective way of delivering everyday essentials to our customers’ homes in a matter of minutes,” Geddes said.

“Customers can now get those urgent items they need in a hurry, delivered by drone, directly from the local Coles Ormeau Village store. Whether they’ve forgotten to pick up a loaf of bread or fresh milk during their weekly shop or are missing an ingredient for dinnertime meal prep or school lunches, they can now get those products delivered quickly, without having to drive to the store.

“This new service reinforces our commitment to enhancing the way our customers shop with Coles by delivering anytime, anywhere, anyhow shopping, while supporting our ambition to be Australia’s most sustainable supermarket by continuing to reduce the number of trucks on the road.”

The drone delivery expansion into Queensland follows a successful pilot program launched in Canberra back in March, where Coles co-located its products at Wing’s drone delivery facility. Since the Canberra pilot program began, more than 5000 deliveries have been made through Wing, with some of the most popular items including fresh fruit, milk, bread and eggs, along with confectionery, snacks and cold drinks.

As part of the expansion into South East Queensland, Wing will also soon be offering Coles items for delivery from the rooftop of Grand Plaza in Logan, south of Brisbane, where it has been operating a drone delivery service for selected onsite businesses.

Wing Australia General Manager Simon Rossi said the company is investing in a range of pilot programs, designed to help enable drone delivery at scale and bring delivery to more Australians.

“We’re excited to be teaming up with Coles on this Australian-first store-to-door drone delivery service, helping to expand the delivery options available to Coles customers by bringing affordable, sustainable and fast drone delivery to the skies of South East Queensland,” Rossi said.

“Since launching our drone delivery service in Logan a few years ago, we’ve heard from customers across South East Queensland who are keen to see drone delivery expand to their region. We’re delighted that through this pilot program with Coles, for the first time, drone delivery will be available to residents in the City of Gold Coast.”

Customers can download the Wing app, enter their address and add items to their cart before submitting their order for fulfilment. Upon arrival, the drone hovers in the air and slowly lowers the package to the ground at the customer’s delivery location for a contactless delivery.