Google Express
Google Express, formerly Google Shopping Express,[1] is a shopping service from Google that was launched on a free trial basis in San Francisco and Silicon Valley in spring 2013. Originally it was a same-day service;[2] it now offers same-day and overnight delivery.
The service was first announced in March 2013, from San Francisco as far south as San Jose. Retailers include a mix of national and local stores.[3][4][5] It was publicly launched on September 25, 2013, with some added retailers but still temporarily restricted to San Francisco and Silicon Valley.[6] Apps for Android and Apple smartphones were announced the same day; using these enables customers to use their loyalty accounts.[7] In May 2014 the service was expanded to New York City and West Los Angeles,[8][9] and in October 2014 service was added in Chicago, Boston, and Washington, DC, as well as additional retailers.[1][10]
At launch, Google waived the subscription fee for testers and for the first six months after sign-up;[8][9] the fee is somewhat below that for Amazon Prime. Amazon, which is also testing same-day delivery in selected markets, is the main competitor.[4][5][11][12][13] Delivery began with Prius sedans in Google Express livery, about 50 cars as of August 2013[update], when the service was available in 88 ZIP codes.[14] The fleet was later expanded to include Ford Transit vans,[15] and the company announced it might use bicycle and on-foot delivery in some areas.[16] The deliveries are subcontracted to a courier service, initially 1-800-Courier;[17] the service now also contracts with OnTrac. In the testing phase, retailers were also not charged or paid only a nominal fee. Customers pay $5 per shopping stop and receive deliveries within a three- to five-hour window.[13][14] Customers must have a Google Wallet account.[14][18]
The service displays a map of the merchandise pickup and delivery locations, and attempts to use the nearest available outlet,[13][14] not always successfully.[17][19]
See also[edit]
- Kozmo.com, now-defunct 1998–2001 business that provided a similar service
- Package delivery § Same-day delivery
References[edit]
- ^ a b Sarah Perez, "Google Shopping Express Expands To More Cities, Rebrands As Google Express", TechCrunch, October 14, 2014.
- ^ "shop local stores online and get items delivered on the same day", Google Shopping Express, retrieved March 18, 2014.
- ^ Salvador Rodriguez, "Google testing same-day delivery service", Business, Los Angeles Times, March 28, 2013.
- ^ a b Iain Thomson, "Google Shopping Express dips toe in same-day home delivery: Wants to ape Amazon and eBay, not Webvan or Kozmo", The Register, March 28, 2013.
- ^ a b Joanna Stern, "Google Shopping Express: Same-Day Delivery Beyond the Web", Technology, ABC News blogs, March 29, 2013.
- ^ Heather Somerville, "Google same-day delivery makes public debut", Mercury News, September 25, 2013.
- ^ Sarah Perez, "Google Shopping Express Launches In San Francisco Peninsula, Debuts New Apps", TechCrunch, September 25, 2013.
- ^ a b Alison Griswold, "Google Shopping Express Is Making a Masterful Play for Amazon’s Customers", Moneybox, Slate, May 5, 2014.
- ^ a b Alistair Barr, "In Battle with Amazon, Google Expands Same-Day Delivery Service", Blogs, Wall Street Journal, May 5, 2014.
- ^ Brian Elliot, "Google Express: more cities, more stores and a new name", Official Google blog, Oct 13, 2014.
- ^ Alexia Tsotsis, "Google Starts Testing Google Shopping Express In SF, With Free Delivery From Target, Walgreens, Staples And More", TechCrunch, March 28, 2013.
- ^ Dan Reyes, "Google Shopping Express May Rival Amazon and eBay", Technorati, March 28, 2013.
- ^ a b c Farhad Manjoo, "The Glorious Future of Shopping: You order online. Your stuff comes the same day. You never have to leave your house again", Technology, Slate, June 30, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Heather Somerville, "Google puts pressure on eBay, expands same-day delivery", Business, Mercury News, August 30, 2013.
- ^ Erin Connolly, "Here’s What You Need to Know Now That Google Express is in Town", Boston.com, October 15, 2014.
- ^ Kaja Whitehouse, "Google expands same-day delivery service to Manhattan, LA", The New York Post, May 5, 2014.
- ^ a b Cyrus Farivar, "Google Shopping Express expands old formula: Take orders, deliver stuff (mostly): In which an Ars editor makes three orders in San Jose, but two actually show up", Business, Ars Technica, September 25, 2013.
- ^ Shana Lynch, "Google Shopping Express versus eBay Now: Who won?", Silicon Valley Business Journal, September 25, 2013.
- ^ Kevin Shalvey, "Google Shopping Express Test: Same-Day Bagels", Investors.com, Investor's Business Daily, June 5, 2013.
External links[edit]
Media related to Google Express at Wikimedia Commons- Official website
