In one U.S. city, tape measures are taking flight.
Lowe’s announced Thursday it’s offering same-day drone delivery through DoorDash to customers of one of its Charlotte-area stores, making it the first major U.S. home improvement retailer to offer the service.
“We're removing friction from home improvement and making it easier for customers to enjoy their home,” said Seemantini Godbole, chief information and AI officer at Lowe’s.
“Any technology we implement is designed to eliminate that friction so our customers can complete their projects quickly.”
Items can arrive at a customer’s home in as little as 20 minutes, the company said.
Delivery is available from its Matthews, North Carolina, store for products such as hand tools, paint products, tape, cleaners and other smaller items weighing up to 2.5 pounds.
Lowe’s is the latest big brand to announce a launch or expansion of drone delivery services.
Leading U.S. retailers Amazon and Walmart have leveraged drones to offer speedy delivery service to customers within the range of their stores and distribution centers.
Walmart launched its drone delivery in northern Arkansas in 2021.
Since then, the company expanded the service to Georgia, North Carolina and Texas, and completed more than one million deliveries, Walmart said in a May 2026 press release.
Amazon launched its Amazon Prime Air drone delivery in California in 2022 and has since expanded the program to seven states. It plans to launch the service in Georgia, Ohio, Illinois, Idaho, and New York “soon,” Amazon said in an August press release.
Consumers are partial to stores with drone delivery, according to a 2024 survey from consultancy McKinsey. Some 53 percent said they would switch retailers if it meant they could get a drone delivery.
The airborne package carriers offer two distinct advantages over vehicle delivery – they’re fast and aren’t affected by traffic jams.
Drones are valuable for deliveries to rural areas, accounting firm PWC pointed out in a 2024 analysis.
“These regions often lack adequate delivery options due to the high costs and logistical challenges of traditional methods,” PWC wrote.
“Drones can bridge this accessibility gap, significantly improving service efficiency and cost-effectiveness without facing the challenges of densely populated urban areas.”
The firm predicted that drones could replace up to 389 billion vehicle deliveries by 2034.
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