According to a new analysis by real estate consultancy Colliers, the key to making drone delivery commercially viable lies not only in the technology itself but also in the availability of suitable take-off locations. Rather than requiring new buildings, drone networks can operate from unused sections of car parks or service areas behind existing retail properties.
The US leads the commercial rollout
China remains the most advanced market for drone deliveries, while the United States is rapidly expanding its services. Retail giants Walmart and Amazon are among the main drivers. Walmart announced in May 2026 that it had completed its one-millionth drone delivery.
Companies including Wing, Zipline and DoorDash are also expanding their operations, delivering everything from restaurant meals and groceries to household essentials and pharmacy products. The service is particularly attractive to customers ordering just a few items who value speed and convenience.
However, drone deliveries remain more expensive than conventional transport. The estimated cost of a drone delivery was approximately USD 13.50 in 2025, compared with around USD 2 for a traditional vehicle delivery. According to Colliers, expanding the network of launch sites is essential to reducing these costs by shortening flight distances and increasing delivery density.
The cost per shipment falls as the number of take-off points in a metropolitan area rises. Drone economics are therefore driven less by better machines than by the availability of suitable properties.
Blanka Sovová, director of retail real estate at Colliers
Existing retail properties offer ideal locations
Suburban shopping centres and retail parks are particularly well suited to drone operations. Their locations provide access to densely populated residential areas while avoiding many of the obstacles associated with high-rise urban environments.
Several US projects demonstrate the potential. Amazon is developing launch areas of approximately 1,860 square metres in the car parks of its distribution centres around Chicago, with an expected delivery radius of 12 kilometres. DoorDash and Wing have launched services from a shopping outlet in metropolitan Atlanta, covering distances of up to 6.5 kilometres. Meanwhile, Zipline operates more than 25 public launch sites across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, handling thousands of orders daily with average flight times of around three minutes.
European markets are also making progress. Irish company Manna, founded in 2019, has completed more than 250,000 commercial deliveries and operates in Ireland, Finland and Texas. Its launch stations occupy approximately five parking spaces at suburban shopping centres.
Drone infrastructure does not require new construction. An unused section of a car park or the back area of an existing shopping centre may be sufficient. The important question for property owners is whether their buildings can support the necessary technical and operational requirements.
Blanka Sovová
The Czech Republic prepares for the next step
Drone delivery in the Czech Republic is still at the pilot stage. Mall.cz conducted an early test in November 2016, flying a package 1.7 km from its distribution centre in Jirny to Zelenec in just three minutes under the supervision of the Civil Aviation Authority.
Further developments followed. In 2023, Czech delivery company Dodo tested drone delivery in Budapest in cooperation with Rossmann, covering 15 km in 14 minutes. In March 2025, Aerovision opened a delivery-drone development centre at Příbram Airport.
Meanwhile, foodora has been testing autonomous ground robots since December 2025, delivering orders from McDonald's restaurants within an approximately two-kilometre radius in Prague's Karlín district. If successful, the company plans to expand the service to other cities and is also testing drone deliveries abroad.
The regulatory environment will play a major role in determining how quickly the technology develops. The European Commission's Drone Strategy 2.0 estimates that the European drone services market could reach EUR 14.5 billion by 2030, creating around 145,000 jobs. A key element is U-space, the EU-wide framework for managing drone traffic safely over populated areas. The Czech Republic is among the first EU countries to implement the system.
Retail parks could gain a competitive advantage
As drone regulations evolve and commercial operations expand, Czech shopping centres and retail parks could become important parts of the delivery infrastructure. Their existing parking areas, suburban locations and proximity to residential communities make them attractive potential launch points.
Czech customers are already accustomed to fast, contactless delivery, while parcel lockers have become a familiar feature of supermarket and retail park car parks. Once drone operations become more widely permitted following the introduction of U-space, retail properties on the outskirts of cities and in suburban areas could have a significant advantage. Owners should start assessing whether their properties are suitable for drone take-off sites now.
Blanka Sovová
The expansion of drone delivery could therefore create a new role for retail real estate, transforming underused parking spaces into valuable last-mile logistics infrastructure.
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