Google's Express Shopping to Go Nationwide and Eventually Include Amazon-Prime Style Membership

[dgstorm]

For those who didn't know this already, Google actually has a retail service called Express Shopping. It's currently only available in and around San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York. It's basically the infancy stage for a Google service designed to compete with Amazon.

In fact, according to Google Shopping Express exec, Tom Fallows, Google is getting ready to invest a half-billion dollars into spreading the service with a nationwide rollout. On top of this, Google is even planning to offer an Amazon Prime like membership service, although Google may offer theirs a bit cheaper than the $99 dollar per year fee from Amazon.

Fallows did not indicate when Google plans to launch this new service, but he did offer some other details. The current Express Shopping system utilizes partnerships between Google and retailers including Target, Costco, Whole Foods, and many others. Here's a quote with a few more details,

Google Express Shopping lets users order merchandise from partnering retailers, including Target, Costco, and Whole Foods, and have it delivered at home the same day. Unlike Amazon, Google does not have its own infrastructure of warehouses and shipping vehicles, meaning that it relies on partners for the storage and delivery of goods. Shoppers pay a commission for each order, with a small fee added if the order involves merchandise from different stores.

Currently, Express Shopping is available in areas in and around San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York. According to Re/code’s sources, Google wants to spend up to $500 million to extend the availability of Express Shopping nationwide, money that will go towards marketing, setting up a fleet of delivery vehicles, and paying drivers and workers.

“We think that helping close the loop on locally available items is a really important part of making sure Google is the best place to shop,” Fallows said, suggesting that Google may one day show notifications to users searching for a product that is available on Express Shopping with same-day delivery. ~ AndroidAuthority

At this time, Fallows did not mention if the Express Shopping membership account will also give access to Google's library of digital content the way an Amazon Prime account does, but more than likely that is something Google is working toward achieving.

What do you guys think? Would you want an Amazon Prime style membership from Google if it offered good value?

 

[johnomaz]

Right now my back is in poor shape. I can barely walk, lay down or even sit. This may be a service I would use because of this. I don't want my wife to have to bear the brunt of increased duties because of my back especially when its heavier items like a 50 pound bag of dog food or something. Plus it means less unnecessary expenses as you walk through the stores and see things that you think you need right then but actually don't.