AMAZON TO LAUNCH DRONE DELIVERY IN 500 CITIES

SAN FRANCISCO, AUGUST 19 /SRNA/ - US retail giant Amazon plans to expand drone delivery of smaller, lightweight packages to suburban areas in nearly 500 US cities by the end of the year, AP reports.

"Customers could receive packages delivered by drones in as little as 30 minutes. The drones can carry packages weighing up to 2.3 kilograms," Amazon said in a statement.

The plan will intensify the race between US retail giants Amazon and Walmart as they seek to offer consumers the fastest possible delivery.

Both companies rely on a combination of drones and drivers to deliver whatever consumers order.