photo: 7-11 and Flirtey
Forget the drive-through – convenience retailer 7-Eleven is now introducing the Slurpee drone.
Drone delivery pioneer Flirtey said recently that residential delivery would happen within a year – and with the announcement of a Slurpee delivery, it seems to be a reality.
The two companies partnered last week to complete the first residential drone delivery, a historic milestone for the drone industry. The delivery helped 7-Eleven celebrate the chain’s 89th birthday.
The test was performed with permission of the FAA, in partnership with the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS).
“This delivery required special flight planning, risk analysis, and detailed flight procedures ensuring residential safety and privacy were equally integrated,” said Chris Walach, Director of Operations for NIAS in the 7-Eleven corporate statement.
The test, performed in Reno, NV near the Flirtey headquarters, involved two deliveries of 7‑Eleven merchandise. Both hot and cold food items were delivered to a customer’s door in a Flirtey drone delivery container, where the Flirtey drone hovered before gently lowering each package. The delivery included Slurpee® drinks, a chicken sandwich, donuts, hot coffee and candy; and was completed within a few minutes.
“My wife and I both work and have three small children ages 7, 6 and 1. The convenience of having access to instant, 24/7 drone delivery is priceless,” said the Reno resident who received the Flirtey delivery in the statement. “It’s amazing that a flying robot just delivered us food and drinks in a matter of minutes.”
“We’re absolutely thrilled to have 7‑Eleven, the largest convenience chain in the world, embracing new technologies and working with us at Flirtey to make drone delivery a reality for customers all over the world,” said Flirtey CEO Matt Sweeny. “This is just the first step in our collaboration with 7‑Eleven… today is a giant leap toward a not-too-distant future where we are delivering you convenience on demand.”
The two companies plan to continue their collaboration on drone delivery, and intend to carry out further tests in partnership.
This latest test again establishes Flirtey at the forefront of drone delivery, ahead of retailing giants like Amazon who also have drone delivery plans.
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