IN AN Australian and global first, Chemist Warehouse (CW) has announced it will partner with X's Project Wing to test drone delivery technology (pictured) to households in ACT and Queanbeyan regions.
Starting this week, tester families in the semi-rural area of Royalla, some 40 minutes round trip to the nearest shop, will be able to purchase goods chosen from more than 100 products by using the Project Wing app, with delivery to the doorstep promised in just "a few minutes".
Products on offer will include dental, haircare, cosmetics, vitamins, personal care, skincare, sunscreen and limited non-scheduled medicines, the company has said.
CW co-founder Damien Grace says, "Chemist Warehouse prides itself on being innovative and always at the forefront of global retail.
"It is our mission to help every Australian to get well, stay well, as well as to feel and look fabulous.
"At Chemist Warehouse we believe that any and all innovative approaches where we can create a more convenient and stress-free shopping experience for our customers should be explored."
"Chemist Warehouse is thrilled to partner with X's Project Wing and look forward to continuing to deliver the best in healthcare, faster".
The trial period is three months during which Project Wing will be able to gather valuable feedback from participating residents, who will one day benefit from drone delivery technology.
Royalla residents are said to have told Project Wing they are excited that drones could be useful for delivering meals, groceries, medicines, farm supplies, or even spare parts in the event of a car breakdown.
Flying zones, delivery locations and the business of navigating around hazards will all be part of the fine tuning over the next few months, the company said.
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