Engadget has been testing and reviewing consumer tech since 2004. Our stories may include affiliate links; if you buy something through a link, we may earn a commission. Read more about how we evaluate products.
7-Eleven has already made 77 deliveries by drone
Way ahead of you, Amazon.
Sure, Amazon made its first drone delivery last week, but 7-Eleven already has it beat. Today, the convenience store company announced that it has already made a total of 77 deliveries by drone in the state of Nevada. Of course the caveat here is that 7-Eleven relied on Flirtey, a drone delivery service company that's already made a name for itself by delivering Domino's in New Zealand and textbooks in Australia. It also made the first FAA-approved urban drone delivery earlier this year.
Though the deliveries kicked off in July, it was in November when the company started making regular weekend deliveries from a 7-Eleven store to about a dozen customers. They used a custom app to place their orders, which included everything from hot and cold food to over-the-counter medication. The items are then loaded into a special drone container. The app tells them when the drone is loaded up, when it's left the store and when it's arrived at their home. According to a press release, deliveries took less than 10 minutes.
"Flirtey is the world's leader in the drone delivery industry and we have now successfully completed the first month of routine commercial drone deliveries to customer homes in partnership with 7-Eleven," said Flirtey CEO Matthew Sweeny in a statement. "While other companies in this space are shipping jobs overseas, Flirtey's goal is to make delivery instant, and in the process create jobs at home for hardworking Americans and veterans. This is a giant leap towards a future where everyone can experience the convenience of Flirtey's instant store-to-door drone delivery."
The deliveries are isolated to just Nevada for now, but 7-Eleven and Flirtey hopes to expand their drone services next year.
