Although the retailer filed in February for a U.S. patent to launch an aerial warehouse, the news was first reported by Bloomberg on Aug. 18. Amazon was granted permission for a similar patent last year.
In the patent application, Walmart describes the floating warehouse as a gas-filled aircraft or blimp, stuffed with merchandise, which could fly as high as 1,000 feet. The aircraft would contain multiple launching bays and be operated automatically or remotely by a human pilot.
Walmart explains in the patent filing: “[I]n a modern retail environment, there is a need to improve the customer service and/or convenience for the customer. One aspect of customer service is the availability of products. The availability of products is dependent in part on the distribution of products.”
According to the report, the floating warehouse would allow Walmart to increase its delivery efficiency and serve a wider distribution area.
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