Lowe's Launches Drone Delivery With DoorDash and Wing in North Carolina Pilot

Customers can order products directly through DoorDash, which will list drone delivery as an option for eligible customers. The drones currently transport orders of roughly 2.5 pounds per flight and operate within a 5-mile radius of the Lowe's store in Matthews, North Carolina, according to the company. Lowe's said it plans to expand the service, which is still being tested, if the pilot is successful.

Seemantini Godbole, chief information and artificial intelligence officer at Lowe's, said shoppers often tell the company they realize halfway through a project that they are missing a crucial item. "Drone delivery fits perfectly because this was one of the friction points, like you're doing a project, and you're getting interrupted," Godbole said. "[But] you never left your home, you never left your job site, and then you just continued with the project. That's the whole premise."

Godbole said Lowe's is still testing the service, but if it is successful, the company may expand the drone program beyond the North Carolina store. "We wanted our tech teams to be positioned. ... We literally are going to the store every day," she said. "We are observing. We are listening to the feedback from our store associates and from DoorDash, and we could make changes as needed and be really agile, and so that's why we started here."

Godbole added that drone delivery is not "technology for the sake of tech," but a move to keep up with changing needs of Lowe's customers as part of the company's broader technology strategy. With the announcement, Lowe's joins a growing group of retailers adding drone delivery to improve convenience and use technology to lift sales. Amazon, Walmart and Uber Eats already use drones to offer fast delivery, according to CNBC. Godbole said Lowe's distinction is that it is the first home improvement retailer to offer drone delivery.

Drone technology has faced criticism across the country from people concerned about noise and privacy issues, especially in states such as New Jersey. Navigating more crowded airspace also requires regulatory approval. Godbole said Lowe's is working to ensure its drones meet all standards and is relying on the expertise of DoorDash and Wing.

Godbole said that while drones are an important milestone in Lowe's technological advances, the company is still focusing on improving express same-day delivery and innovation for shoppers while incorporating AI into internal processes for store associates. "When associates and customers are interacting with Lowe's, I really want the technology to disappear, and I want the experience to shine through," Godbole said. "I want them to remember the projects they are doing, the items they are buying, the fulfillment experience they got, and all our technology efforts are geared towards that."

Editor's Summary

Lowe's is launching drone delivery with DoorDash and Alphabet's Wing, starting with a pilot in Matthews, North Carolina, that offers more than 100 products and delivery in as little as 20 minutes. The service makes Lowe's the first home improvement retailer to use drones for delivery, joining Amazon, Walmart and Uber Eats. The company is testing the program while drone use faces concerns over noise, privacy and airspace regulation.