Google Express

Google Express, formerly Google Shopping Express,[1] was a service from Google which became part of Google Shopping.

Google Shopping Express vehicle, original livery
Google Shopping Express vehicle, newer livery

At Google Marketing Live in May 2019,[2][3] Google announced the integration of Google Express and its more than two thousand partner stores into the new Google Shopping. Google Shopping incorporates the functionality and capabilities of Express plus other pre-existing features of Google Shopping, [4] like the ability to compare prices and places to buy from online and offline stores.

Google Express was a shopping service from Google available in some parts of the United States that was launched on a free trial basis across the San Francisco Peninsula. Originally, it was a same-day service[5], but it later expanded to same-day and overnight delivery.[6] Pricing was originally the same as in-person shopping, but later increased; Google Express Help said, "Because item prices are set by stores, sometimes you'll see prices on Google Express that differ from what you'd see in the store: this depends both on the merchant and the location of the store your items come from."[7]

The service was first announced in March 2013, from San Francisco as far south as San Jose, California. Retailers include a mix of national and local stores.[8][9][10] It was publicly launched on September 25, 2013, with some added retailers but still restricted to San Francisco and Silicon Valley.[11] Apps for Android and Apple smartphones were announced the same day; using these enables customers to use their loyalty accounts.[5] In May 2014 the service was expanded to New York City and West Los Angeles,[12][13] and in October 2014 service was added in Chicago, Boston, and Washington, DC, as well as additional retailers.[1][14]

At launch, Google waived the subscription fee for testers and for the first six months after sign-up;[12][13] the fee is somewhat below that for Amazon Prime. Amazon, which is also testing same-day delivery in selected markets, is the main competitor.[9][10][15][16][17] Delivery began with Prius sedans in Google Shopping Express livery, about 50 cars as of August 2013, when the service was available in 88 ZIP codes.[18] The fleet was later expanded to include Ford Transit vans,[19] and the company announced it might use bicycle and on-foot delivery in some areas.[20] The deliveries are subcontracted to a courier service, initially 1-800-Courier,[21] and later also OnTrac. In the testing phase, retailers were not charged, or paid only a nominal fee. Customers pay $5 per shopping stop and receive deliveries within a three- to five-hour window.[17][18] Customers must have a Google Pay account.[18][22]

The service displays a map of the merchandise pickup and delivery locations, and attempts to use the nearest available outlet,[17][18] although not always successfully.[21][23]

In October 2017, merchant partners included Walmart,[24] Target,[25] Costco, and Fry's Electronics.

See also

References
  1. Sarah Perez, "Google Shopping Express Expands To More Cities, Rebrands As Google Express" Archived 2018-08-25 at the Wayback Machine, TechCrunch, October 14, 2014
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2019-12-15. Retrieved 2019-12-19.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2019-11-17. Retrieved 2019-12-19.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Redesigned Google Shopping goes live, with price tracking, Google Lens for outfits and more". TechCrunch. Retrieved 2019-10-10.
  5. Sarah Perez, "Google Shopping Express Launches In San Francisco Peninsula, Debuts New Apps" Archived 2019-02-18 at the Wayback Machine. TechCrunch, September 25, 2013.
  6. Sarah Perez, "Google Express expands, now reaches 90 percent of U.S." Archived 2018-12-01 at the Wayback Machine, TechCrunch, October 25, 2016.
  7. "Pricing" Archived 2018-08-15 at the Wayback Machine, Google Express Help, retrieved September 7, 2017.
  8. Salvador Rodriguez, "Google testing same-day delivery service" Archived 2013-04-06 at the Wayback Machine, Los Angeles Times, March 28, 2013.
  9. Iain Thomson, "Google Shopping Express dips toe in same-day home delivery: Wants to ape Amazon and eBay, not Webvan or Kozmo" Archived 2017-09-07 at the Wayback Machine, The Register, March 28, 2013.
  10. Joanna Stern, "Google Shopping Express: Same-Day Delivery Beyond the Web" Archived 2013-09-19 at the Wayback Machine, Technology, ABC News blogs, March 29, 2013.
  11. Heather Somerville, "Google same-day delivery makes public debut" Archived 2013-10-01 at the Wayback Machine, The Mercury News, September 25, 2013.
  12. Alison Griswold, "Google Shopping Express Is Making a Masterful Play for Amazon’s Customers" Archived 2014-05-16 at the Wayback Machine, Moneybox, Slate, May 5, 2014.
  13. Alistair Barr, "In Battle with Amazon, Google Expands Same-Day Delivery Service" Archived 2017-11-23 at the Wayback Machine, Wall Street Journal blogs, May 5, 2014.
  14. Brian Elliot, "Google Express: more cities, more stores and a new name" Archived 2014-10-29 at the Wayback Machine, Official Google blog, October 13, 2014.
  15. Alexia Tsotsis, "Google Starts Testing Google Shopping Express In SF, With Free Delivery From Target, Walgreens, Staples And More" Archived 2019-08-27 at the Wayback Machine, TechCrunch, March 28, 2013.
  16. Dan Reyes, "Google Shopping Express May Rival Amazon and eBay" Archived 2013-08-01 at the Wayback Machine, Technorati, March 28, 2013.
  17. Farhad Manjoo, "The Glorious Future of Shopping: You order online. Your stuff comes the same day. You never have to leave your house again" Archived 2013-09-25 at the Wayback Machine, Technology, Slate, June 30, 2013.
  18. Heather Somerville, "Google puts pressure on eBay, expands same-day delivery" Archived 2014-02-19 at the Wayback Machine, Business, The Mercury News, August 30, 2013.
  19. Erin Connolly, "Here’s What You Need to Know Now That Google Express is in Town" Archived 2016-04-23 at the Wayback Machine, Boston.com, October 15, 2014.
  20. Kaja Whitehouse, "Google expands same-day delivery service to Manhattan, LA" Archived 2019-01-18 at the Wayback Machine, The New York Post, May 5, 2014.
  21. 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" Archived 2017-02-11 at the Wayback Machine, Business, Ars Technica, September 25, 2013.
  22. Shana Lynch, "Google Shopping Express versus eBay Now: Who won?" Archived 2013-10-02 at the Wayback Machine, Silicon Valley Business Journal, September 25, 2013.
  23. Kevin Shalvey, "Google Shopping Express Test: Same-Day Bagels" Archived 2015-02-11 at the Wayback Machine, Investor's Business Daily, June 5, 2013.
  24. Dennis Green, "Google and Walmart are joining forces to take on Amazon" Archived 2017-10-26 at the Wayback Machine, Business Insider, August 23, 2017, retrieved October 13, 2017.
  25. Natalie Gagliordi, "Target partners with Google for voice shopping through Google Express" Archived 2018-03-30 at the Wayback Machine, ZDNet (CBS Interactive), October 12, 2017, retrieved October 13, 2017.
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