Look up! Bailian Shopping Mall begins drone delivery services for food and beverage
The first commercial drone delivery service links Bailian's Jinshan Shopping Mall with a neighborhood close by.
A regional shopping mall of local retail conglomerate Bailian Group became the first retailer in the city to adopt drone delivery with a new shopping experience for neighboring customers.
Bailian Jinshan Shopping Mall and Meituan said they have initiated the first commercial drone delivery service on Wednesday.
The new unmanned aerial vehicle route connects the Jinshan shopping mall and a neighbourhood 1.8 kilometers away.
Shoppers nearby are able to order drinks and snacks provided by food and drink vendors at the shopping mall, with more grocery vendors included in the future.
The two parties hope to explore more smart delivery services and strengthen the on-demand retail solutions for neighboring communities.
Shoppers nearby are able to order drinks and snacks provided by food and drink vendors at the shopping mall through drone delivery.
Bailian said the new move also explores new frontiers for smart retail services by combining physical retail and digital delivery capabilities.
The new aerial route will complement regular courier delivery staff routes and prioritize orders that are more time sensitive.
The East China Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Base in the Jinshan Industrial Zone was put into use in 2018, and has already provided test flights and commercial routes for logistics and delivery firms such as SF Express and Ele.me.
The drone base is responsible for designating specific time slots and routes for the takeoff and landing of food delivery drones and only authorized service is allowed.
