Everyone knows Amazon is the e-commerce and delivery king—so why didn't the online retailer take the lead and make the first FAA-approved drone delivery in the business? Probably because 7-Eleven beat it to the punch.
The convenience store retailer partnered with drone operator Flirtey to make the delivery earlier this month, bringing doughnuts, coffee, a Slurpee and chicken salad to a family in Reno within a few minutes using the drone. 7-Eleven has offered delivery services for some time, partnering through partners like Postmates, and the retailer did not say whether drones would become an official part of its services, Retail Dive reports.
The delivery is a pretty big feat for the convenience chain, considering retail giants like Amazon and Walmart announced earlier this year that they would begin delivering packages via drones. But, the regulations set forth by the FAA for such deliveries have yet to be formalized. [RD]
