As if Google didn't have enough on its plate, it seems the Mountain View company is adding yet another feather to its cap by entering the delivery business. As originally reported on TechCrunch and then confirmed by Reuters, the search giant is apparently working on a same-day delivery service that could pit it against the likes of Amazon Prime, eBay Now and local dispatchers like Postmates' GetItNow. Known to both outlets as Google Shopping Express, it would bring purchased goods from local retailers directly to your door via third-party couriers. According to TechCrunch, Google plans to charge around $64 or $69 a year for the service, while a Reuters source said a small fee per purchase might also be a possibility. Reuters even said Google has already started testing the service in the Bay Area in "recent weeks."
When asked to comment on the story, a Google spokesperson said to us in an email:
We are always working to build a delightful shopping experience for users, in close partnership with retailers, and to empower businesses of all sizes to compete effectively. We will continue to work toward providing technology, tools and traffic to help power the retail ecosystem but have nothing to announce at this time.
Though they're clearly keeping mum on the subject, it does seem a delivery service would be in line with Google's recent moves in the commerce space, such as the acquisition of locker startup Bufferbox and e-commerce firm Channel Intelligence. That said, we can't be sure exactly when or how Shopping Express will be implemented; too bad the company's Transparency Report doesn't actually reveal the inside workings of Sergey Brin's mind.
Filed under: Google
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Source: TechCrunch, Reuters
Online retailers like Amazon are putting the pressure on brick-and-mortar retail spaces by offering cheap and speedy delivery of goods, with same-day -- and in some cases one-hour -- deliveries to metro areas around the country. In a bid to keep up...
