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Google Express, formerly Google Shopping Express, is a shopping service from Google that was launched on a free trial basis in San Francisco and Silicon Valley in spring 2013, and publicly in September that year. In spring 2014, it was expanded to New York City and Los Angeles, and in fall 2014 to Chicago, Boston, and Washington, DC. Originally it was a same-day service; it now offers same-day and overnight delivery.
The service was first announced in March 2013, from San Francisco as far south as San Jose. Retailers include a mix of national and local stores. It was publicly launched on September 25, 2013, with some added retailers but still temporarily restricted to San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Apps for Android and Apple smartphones were announced the same day; using these enables customers to use their loyalty accounts. In May 2014 the service was expanded to New York City and West Los Angeles, and in October 2014, they added service in Chicago, Boston, and Washington, DC, and additional retailers.
At launch, Google waived the subscription fee for testers and for the first six months after sign-up; the fee is somewhat below that for Amazon Prime. Amazon, which is also testing same-day delivery in selected markets, is the main competitor. Delivery began with Prius sedans in Google Express livery, about 50 cars as of August 2013, when the service was available in 88 ZIP codes. The fleet was later expanded to include Ford Transit vans, and the company announced it might use bicycle and on-foot delivery in some areas. The deliveries are subcontracted to a courier service, initially 1-800-Courier; the service now also contracts with OnTrac. In the testing phase, retailers were also not charged or paid only a nominal fee. Customers pay $5 per shopping stop and receive deliveries within a three- to five-hour window. Customers must have a Google Wallet account.
The service displays a map of the merchandise pickup and delivery locations, and attempts to use the nearest available outlet, not always successfully.