Walmart has announced the completion of 6,000 drone deliveries in seven US states.

The multinational retail company now operates 36 drone delivery hubs in the country, including Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.

The announcement comes as research suggests that the global drone marketplace is expected to be worth over £232 billion by 2019.

“I’m incredibly proud of our team for creating the largest drone delivery footprint of any US retailer and providing customers with an incredibly fast–and innovative–option for delivery,” said Vik Gopalakrishnan, vice president, innovation & automation, Walmart US. “We’re encouraged by the positive response from customers and look forward to making even more progress in 2023.”

Walmart revealed that the top five items delivered via drone were Great Value Cookies and Cream Ice Cream, Lemons, Hot Rotisserie Chicken, Red Bull, and Bounty paper towels.

The company said that currently 85 per cent of items stocked at its smaller format Walmart Neighbourhood Market stores meet the 10 pound weight and volume standards for drone delivery.

Walmart said that with 4,700 stores in the US, located in areas that serve 90 per cent of the country's population, it is "uniquely positioned" to offer drone delivery at scale.

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