
Google Shopping Express now available to all SF and Peninsula Shoppers  - cleverjake
http://googlecommerce.blogspot.com/2013/09/google-shopping-express-now-available.html
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dougmccune
I've been surprised by how useful this has been over the past few months. Just
last week I busted my phone USB charger by accidentally knocking it off the
table and bending the connector. This was around 10pm, so I ordered a new one
and it arrived around 10am the next morning on my doorstep, well before my
phone ran out of battery. Call it a first world problem, but same-day (or next
morning) delivery is a minor but surprisingly convenient luxury.

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dave5104
I don't have a car, so I always use public transit to go to and fro the store.
My biggest joy for GSE is ordering heavy/bulky items, like laundry detergent
and paper towels--and not having to lug them onto the bus! It's a very
convenient luxury indeed.

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alwaysdoit
People always complain that Google is making us dumber. Now I guess they can
complain it's making us weaker as well.

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dave5104
Whenever I go shopping, I bring two canvas bags with me and fill them. That's
all I can carry, basically. And having to fill a lot of that space with heavy
detergent or bulky paper towels means I either need to go on a second shopping
trip (which I don't want to do), or decide what things I'm /not/ getting that
week.

So sure, some people might end up weaker, but I'm still lugging some heavy
bags home with me each week.

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makeramen
I'd liken this to the "washing machine effect" that Hans Rosling explaned in
his TED talk [1]. He essentially made the case that the washing machine made a
huge difference in the history of the world so parents could spend more time
with their kids (among other things) instead of many hours a week just washing
clothes. I would say Google Shopping Express has a similar effect for shopping
trips where the time spent greatly affects the amount of things an individual
can accomplish in a day.

[1]
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZoKfap4g4w](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZoKfap4g4w)

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cloudwalking
I've been using GSX for a few months, and it's incredibly convenient. When I
think of something I need from the store, I open the mobile app and add it to
my cart. Once a week or so I submit the order and it shows up at my door a
couple hours later.

On one hand it saves me money because I don't impulse buy anything while
walking through target. On the other hand, it's really easy to impulse buy
stuff while sitting on the toilet.

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tb303
I have been using this weekly since first getting access. Totally worth it.
I've had a magsafe adapter (Staples) same-day delivered when I forgot mine at
work, groceries when I wasn't able to swing by the store on the way home that
day, etc. One of the best things is how the UI suggests your frequently bought
items. This is a better way for me to restock household items than amzn
subscribe and save, which has left me (via my own mistake in specifying
interval) with enough q-tips to last through the year 3000.

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daphneokeefe
Installed it on my iPad and tried to set up a credit card. Total failure. The
UI is hideous and doesn't render properly on iPad. JavaScript validation error
on page load disables the user -- can't go back, can't cancel out, and closing
& re opening the app returns you to the frozen page. Who needs this
aggravation? Uninstalled and wandered off. Back to shopping on Amazon.

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k-mcgrady
They have mobile apps available now according to the blog post.

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Instacartlove
I really hope Instacart and Postmates can compete with them! I see different
use case for all of them. My first choice for groceries that i need the same
day would be Instacart, i also love the on-demand food from great restaurants
and the ability to get a few grocery items within the hour by Postmates and
Google Shopping Express looks like a good Amazon alternative.

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jstepka
I like Instacart better than Google's service. Instacart delivers produce,
butcher meat and seafood from Safeway, Costco, and Whole Foods.

One problem that I've noticed with these delivery services is that the
freshest food is not always delivered. I'll take my time at the grocery store
to find the best pick; these shoppers seem to grab the first thing they see.

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signed0
Google Shopping Express just started delivering from Whole Foods.

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g123g
A question to ppl who are currently using this service. Do you tip the
drivers, if so, how much?

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eliben
I think it's an important part of the model that there are no tips. This keeps
the prices very attractive. You rarely see who brought you the package - you
just find it by the door.

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pasbesoin
Google autonomous vehicles may, amongst other things, ferry seniors around
safely.

Shopping Express may save them a trip and trying to lug lots of stuff around.

I don't know much about this market, but it's an interesting perspective.

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awwstn
I've really loved using this service in the free beta, but I've often wondered
whether I'd be willing to pay the delivery fee on a regular basis. We'll see!

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RestlessMind
If/when they start charging for GSE, Google should bundle it with unlimited
play store content (a la prime). I will gladly pay as much as I pay Amazon.

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simulate
This is useful for getting kitchen supplies for our 25 person office.

It's a small bummer that they don't deliver beer and wine from Whole Foods or
Lucky for our Friday Beers but otherwise a great improvement in convenience.
Given that Safeway delivers alcohol and Whole Foods and Lucky clearly stock
it, it must be a policy by Google Shopping Express that prohibits beer and
wine delivery.

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mcpherrinm
I think part of the concern is that GSE seems to drop products and run,
whereas Safeway drivers always have me sign for my package and get the bins
unloaded before they go. I'd think there would be issues with leaving
unattended alcohol, given this country's laws on controlling it.

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r00fus
The only downside to Shopping Express is that sometimes items run out. And
then never get restocked (e.g.: Udi's GF bread).

Otherwise, it's amazing. They have very eclectic coverage. Prices are a bit
higher than, say, Amazon, same day is very hard to beat.

Meanwhile I'm still waiting for Instacart to deliver to my neighborhood...

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samspenc
Looks cool, here's wishing it comes to NYC soon!

But what's Google's play in this? Isn't this a really low-margin business?

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AJ007
If the long term goal is to sell items directly there is plenty of room for
margins.

Combined with Google Now, you should rarely ever run out of anything you need.

I like thinking about how an urban environment re-arranges itself when you
remove the need for most store fronts, and driving.

ATMs, CVS/Walgreens/Duane Reade, Target, Best Buy; these are all places that
probably won't exist in the volume they do today in eight years. Whether it
was low interest rates or other factors that made them multiply, it won't
really matter. A mobile phone + a neighborhood distribution center should be
all that is needed. Automating checkout won't be enough. (In an ATMs case,
cash just won't be used except may be for narcotics.)

What happens to Starbucks, McDonald's, and other chain food service is a whole
other question.

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gms
Looks like I can't get fresh milk from these people, unlike with Instacart.
Fail for me.

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phildini
But what about the East Bay?

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fourstar
Instacart does it, but not quite yet it seems for this.

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gnu8
Does this represent a viable Google service, or is it just another perk for
those living in San Frangoogle to be subsidized by the electronic serfs that
are Google's users?

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cromwellian
It extends to the entire peninsula not just SF. Obviously, scaling something
like this nation wide is a major undertaking, so it will take time.

I don't get the dig against Google's users. Why must every HN comment on
Google these days be accompanies by some snark.

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melange
Because for years Google received unalloyed adoration from the tech community
because they presented themselves as a genuinely better kind of company, but
now that have shown themselves to be just another corporation that will say or
do anything for profit, people are cynical about them.

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cromwellian
Even if that were even remotely true, it's still no excuse for the constant
non-sequiturs.

