Google Shopping Express
The ubiquitous, street-mapping, boundaries-pushing emperor of all things Internet is dipping its toes into ultra-fast service, but only in parts of the San Francisco Bay Area for now. (To be notified when Google Shopping Express expands to your area, click on the link above and sign up.) With such heavy hitters as Target, Office Depot, Costco, Whole Foods and Staples in its stable, Google charges no subscription fee and $5 for each store pick-up, promising delivery within three to five hours.
If Google Shopping Express is in your area, you’re likely to see one of these cars on the roadways. If you spot one, get out of its way because it’s probably in a hurry.
Bottom line: The price is right, but the program is in its infancy and isn’t currently an option for most customers. Once Google Shopping Express gets rolling, we will see if it’s a big hit like Hangouts or a dud like Wave.
Amazon Fresh
With a $299 annual membership fee (although there’s a free, month-long trial to get you going) and $35 minimum orders, Amazon Fresh makes you pay well to live a hermetic life as it hunts, gathers and delivers its wares to you.
The service is available in Seattle, Los Angeles and San Francisco and is slowly branching out to other markets. Food is the big draw of the service, but certain hefty sellers from Amazon’s main storefront are also available. You can order in the morning and have your items by dinner, or order late and get them early the next morning —and this may be just the beginning of things to come. Never satisfied with good-enough, Amazon has famously expressed interest in delivering products instantly via drones.
Bottom line: If you’re a heavy user and really hate grocery shopping, Amazon Fresh makes sense. For most people who happen to live in its service area, though, the subscription fee makes it an extravagance.
eBay Now
The online auction house wants to be more than the place where you buy antiques and sell stuff you don’t want anymore. Like Google, eBay Now charges no subscription fee and $5 per store pickup. …
