Amazon might be getting a run for its money when it comes to the site's growing same-day delivery service.
"Google and Barnes and Noble are joining forces against rival Amazon which has long dominated the fast and cheap delivery of books. But beginning today people in Manhattan, West L.A., Sa Francisco, they will be able to get same day deliveries from local Barnes and Nobles stores through Google's Shopping Express."
AsWFTS mentioned, Google's new venture is only available in select cities for the time being.
But it's part of a new struggle in online retail: who can get items to their customers' doors fastest?
Barnes and Noble's addition to Google's Shopping Express, opens more doors for Express shoppers...
Google customers already have access to items from Walgreens, Target, ToysRUs, Staples, Costco and more.
And, unlike Amazon, Google delivers directly from the retailers rather than relying on stocked warehouses.
However, the company recently announced an expansion to six new cities, bringing the total cities with Amazon's same-day service to 10.
It's not clear yet which approach will be faster, but Amazon has other reasons to be worried. The company is still having problems negotiating e-book prices with major publisher Hachette — which hasn't exactly made customers happy. Here's our earlier summary:
"Amazon has reportedly been recommending non-Hachette authors, charging higher prices for Hachette books and delaying shipping for weeks at a time. ... Now, visitors to Amazon’s website can’t even order some Hachette books slated for release later this year. For example: J.K. Rowling’s latest book is not available for preorder. At Barnes & Noble, it is — and it’s 25 percent off."
That doesn't mean Barnes & Noble is necissarily winning, though. The New York Times explains, "Amazon poses a persistent and growing threat to Google and Barnes & Noble. Its rise has contributed to lagging sales and diminished foot traffic in Barnes & Noble’s physical stores, and it dominates the online market for print books."
The Times reports within the last five years Barnes and Noble has closed 63 stores around the country due to falling sales. Thursday's news of the deal with Google was described by Barnes and Noble's CEO as "a test ... our attempt to link the digital and physical."
But the battle isn't just over who will offer the most books or who will get the product delivered the fastest. It's also about price.
For the time being, it looks like Google Shopping Express is cheaper. It's free for subscribers and costs $4.99 for nonsubscribers, compared to Amazon's service which costs $5.99 for members and $9.98 for everyone else.
This video includes images from Getty Images and Amazon.
