Zipline Home Drone Delivery Expands US Services with GNC, Pagliacci Pizza and Associated Couriers

by DRONELIFE Staff Writer Ian M. Crosby

Drone delivery leader Zipline is expanding its services through the formation of new partnerships with health and wellness brand GNC in Salt Lake City, Pagliacci Pizza in Seattle, and healthcare logistics provider Associated Couriers in Long Island.

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All three companies will be utilizing Zipline’s new home delivery platform. This follows an announcement this past March that Zipline’s Platform 2 technology would be used by sweetgreen, Michigan Medicine, MultiCare Health Systems, Intermountain Health and the Government of Rwanda.

“Zipline’s instant delivery solution is faster, more convenient and better for the environment than traditional automotive delivery. We provide the best delivery experience on earth for consumers and businesses of any size, industry and location,” said Irene Scher, Senior Vice President of U.S. Go-To-Market at Zipline. “We’re excited to go above and beyond for GNC, Pagliacci Pizza and Associated Couriers’ customers.”

Zipline’s nearly-silent Platform 2 Zip drones fly over 300 feet above ground, hovering safely above their destination, where its autonomous delivery droid drops off payloads using a tether. The Platform 2 is usable for delivery within a 10 mile service radius, as well as as a network in which Zips can travel up to 24 miles each way from dock to dock, extending a business’ reach.

GNC will begin offering Zipline delivery from its Utah stores later this year, using Zipline’s Platform 1 long-range delivery system which has completed over 600,000 deliveries on three continents. Next year, GNC intends to deploy Platform 2 in further locations.

“We are focused on building, testing, and fortifying innovation solutions that enable our business to support our consumers on their path to achieve their goals,” said GNC’s Chief Supply Chain Officer, Alan Chester. “This partnership with Zipline will enable GNC to quickly and efficiently deliver our incredible products to consumers to help them stick to wellness routines and Live Well.”

Pagliacci Pizza will use Zipline’s home delivery service to deliver pizzas, salads, drinks and more, even collaborating with Zipline on a new custom-designed pizza box made to fit the Zip’s delivery droid.

“We want to make sure that when people order from us, they get their food as quickly as possible and while it’s still hot,” said Pagliacci Co-owner Matt Galvin. “Zipline will allow us to deliver faster than ever before and will nicely complement our excellent driver team. Over a decade ago, we committed to sustainability by taking bold steps to reduce our carbon footprint, including purchasing green power, buying locally, and developing robust composting programs. As we work toward carbon neutrality, Zipline’s drones will enable us to scale our deliveries sustainably with up to 97% fewer emissions than cars.”

Associated Couriers will be using Zipline’s services to deliver specialty prescriptions and medications directly to Long Island healthcare facilities, with plans to expand throughout the U.S. and eventually internationally.

“The partnership with Zipline places us one step closer to our ultimate vision: making life science logistics invisible,” said Associated Couriers CEO Matt Silverberg. “For 45 years, we have been the go-to partner for healthcare providers delivering life-saving, critical products, and this partnership helps us to elevate our systems to match the future of personalized care. Working with Zipline makes sense because, at the end of the day, it is about the number of lives saved and the number of patient outcomes we can help to improve.”

Studies have found that Zipline’s system helps save lives, increase care, and improves patient outcomes. University of Pennsylvania researchers found that Zipline’s system resulted in an 88% reduction of in-hospital maternal deaths from postpartum hemorrhage. By 2025, Zipline expects to conduct more flights per year than most major U.S. airlines.

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Ian attended Dominican University of California, where he received a BA in English in 2019. With a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling and a keen interest in technology, he is now contributing to DroneLife as a staff writer.