Drone delivery coming to Southern grocery store

Rouses Markets has partnered with Deuce Drone to bring drone delivery to the grocery store's Mobile, Alabama, location.

Rouses and Deuce Drone will be testing the pilot program this fall at the Rouses Market on Airport Boulevard, according to a press release.

Rhett Ross, CEO of Deuce Drone, told FOX Business that if the pilot program is successful, the tech company expects "the service to expand across the Rouses locations." Rouses has 64 store locations across the South.

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"We will complete our first technology demonstration at the end of this month that will include exemplar deliveries of both a grocery item and a food item from our other early-stage retail partner, Potters Wings LLC, DBA Buffalo Wild Wings (local franchisee of the Buffalo Wild Wings national fast-casual restaurant)," Ross said.

Rouses already touts an online order and delivery service that can be completed in as little as one hour, but the store is looking for more innovative ways to get the job done, according to the release.

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“Drone delivery offers the fastest, safest delivery store to door. We should be able to get groceries to customers in 30 minutes or even less. Plus it’s more cost-efficient, meaning we can save customers time and money," Donny Rouse, CEO of Rouses Market, said in a Tuesday statement.

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Deuce Drone describes itself as "every retailer’s dream" on its website, adding that it offers cost-saving services to help retailers "successfully compete with Amazon."

Major brands from Walgreens to FedEx have partnered with drone companies in the past year, and some drone services have stepped up their efforts as people try to stay home as much as possible and companies adapt to contactless delivery during the coronavirus pandemic.

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