Coles to use drones to deliver groceries ‘in minutes’

As well as groceries from Coles, people can also get takeaway delivered by drone. (Source: Getty, Reuters)

Coles has taken to the skies to deliver groceries to people in Canberra, becoming the first major supermarket to deliver its wares via drone.

The supermarket giant has teamed up with delivery drone service Wing to deliver bread, milk and other essentials to ACT residents.

Wing has been running an on-demand drone delivery service for residents of Canberra and Logan over the past few years, and has already made more than 30,000 deliveries in Australia in 2022.

Coles chief executive of eCommerce Ben Hassing said drones were the future of delivery technology.

“We are passionate about finding innovative ways to help our customers to shop with us and we aim to deliver anytime, anywhere, anyhow shopping,” Hassing said.

Customers can now order up to 250 items from the supermarket, including bread, fresh produce, snacks, meals, healthcare items and kitchen essentials, and have them delivered to their doors “in minutes”.

“Whether you’ve run out of milk and eggs for breakfast, forgotten to pick up a loaf of bread for school lunches, or are just after a fresh ‘grab and go’ snack, customers in our delivery service area in Canberra can now get those urgent items they need in a hurry, delivered by drone,” Wing Australia general manager Simon Rossi said.

The company is operating its drones between 8:00am and 4.30pm on weekdays and Saturdays. and 9:00am-4:00pm on Sundays.

Customers can also order takeaway for drone delivery, including Roll’d Vietnamese food and KFC. People can also order Rapid Antigen Tests and first-aid kits.

Drones can save time and money

A 2019 report commissioned by Wing found that using drones to deliver goods in the ACT could save consumers $5 million a year in reduced delivery costs by 2030, and eventually reduce delivery costs by up to 80-90 per cent.

The report also found drone delivery can be 60-70 per cent faster than current methods and save consumers a total of 3 million hours on trips to the shops.

However, in the past, some Canberra residents opposed drones in their neighborhoods, arguing they were noisy, invaded privacy and posed a threat to wildlife.

Follow Yahoo Finance on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter, and subscribe to the free Fully Briefed daily newsletter.