Rouses Markets, a regional supermarket chain, will test unmanned drone grocery delivery this fall to compete with Amazon's delivery speed

• On July 7, Rouses Markets announced it would test grocery via unmanned drone this fall.
• Rouses is partnering with last-mile delivery drone startup Deuce Drone to conduct a test flight at a store in Mobile, Alabama.
• The pandemic has accelerated a consumer trend towards online grocery ordering and delivery, and while Rouses already has a delivery service through Instacart and Shipt, a drone delivery system may make the grocer even more competitive.

On July 7, Gulf Coast supermarket chain Rouses Markets announced in a press release it would test grocery delivery via unmanned drone in the fall.

For the test, Rouses has partnered with last-mile delivery drone startup Deuce Drone, which announced a test with a Buffalo Wild Wings franchisee in mid-June. Deuce's Aerial Drone Delivery Interface System, or ADDIS, will be tested at a Rouses store in Mobile, Alabama. Deuce Drone's website promises a last-mile delivery solution that competes with the speed and convenience of Amazon.

For many retailers, Amazon sets the gold standard for delivery speed and convenience. The pandemic has accelerated a consumer trend towards online grocery ordering and delivery. A recent report by Business Insider Intelligence finds that pandemic-era grocers will need to have competitive online ordering and delivery services in order to become industry leaders.

Rouses Markets already has a delivery service through Instacart and Shipt but is seeking an even faster delivery method.

"Drone delivery offers the fastest, safest delivery store to door," Rouses CEO, Donny Rouse, said in the press release. "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."​