Google Express Can Make Shopping Local Cheaper

Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.

We knew Google's same-day shopping and delivery service opened to the entire Bay area last year. But we didn't know that it could be used to actually reduce weekly household bills. One tester found that after a few months of use, he could "do some mini-showrooming," which means looking at the same product offered by different retailers and selecting the best price from the lot. (Something that's easier to do at your computer than standing in an aisle at the store.)

But Google's service only sources from a handful of retailers (most are mega-chains with only a couple small, local stores) and doesn't deliver perishables.The upside to the service appears to truly lie in saving bucks by sourcing weekly staples at the lowest local prices. The first six months of the service are free. But a wider selection and representation of local stores will be the next factor to see if folks are really willing to pay rather than drive.
· How Google and eBay could save local retailers with same-day delivery [ExtremeTech]
· Free Same-Day Gift Delivery? Merry Christmas From Six Doors [Racked SF]
· Google Shopping Express [Official Site]