Google Express Does Not Replace Amazon Prime, but Is Still Useful
In the arms race between Amazon and Google, couch potatoes are the clear winners. (There are not many workers in the warehouse…) But Google’s latest defense, Google Express, dispenses with warehouse space entirely, bringing orders from local stores right to your home. It works a little differently than Prime, even with Amazon’s recent grocery store extensions.
Google Express has been around for a while under different names, but it was only recently that it became free and expanded. The service currently allows you (in the continental US) to shop online at a variety of local and less-local stores. Delivery times vary from a day to a week, and shipping is free if you meet the minimum order. (It varies from store to store, but usually ranges from $ 25 to $ 35). Shipping costs below the minimum order amount are $ 4.99.
Stores and delivery times vary depending on your location. Regarding my address in Brooklyn, at the time of this writing, I can get same day delivery from Target and next day delivery from Stop & Shop or Costco (you will still need a membership, but you can buy it on Google Express. too much). And, at least for me, in these stores, the choice of food is limited to non-perishable foods and goods.
Google Express goes far beyond grocery – stores I can shop at include Home Depot, Ulta Beauty, and Guitar Center – but the shopping experience is limited to its organization: the store. With Amazon Prime, you can buy a box of muesli, hand lotion and guitar strings in one order. With Google Express, you have to shop in shops and also meet the minimum shop delivery requirements.
Since many stores deliver goods via Google Express in a couple of days, it doesn’t differ much from Amazon Prime. But while Google may offer same-day delivery, Amazon takes the cake for speed: with Prime Now, you can order (from a somewhat limited list of options compared to regular Amazon Prime) with two-hour delivery. And if you hit $ 35, shipping is free. (However, for Prime Now, you are encouraged to tip your delivery man.)
Amazon also gives you a wider selection of products than Google Express, albeit with a membership fee that covers all of the Prime benefits : $ 99 per year or $ 49 for students, as well as monthly membership options . Due to faster delivery times, Prime Now may offer perishable items including fruits and vegetables, dairy products, and even a limited selection of Whole Foods 365 products. (Amazon begins offering Whole Foods delivery to Prime members starting in Austin, Cincinnati, Dallas, and Virginia -Beach, but likely to expand soon.)
Food dogs can also benefit from the Prime Pantry, which allows Prime members to shop for essentials and non-perishable items. It’s a bit of a convoluted system – there is no minimum for shipping, but when you add items to your order, you fill out a “box” that is actually the weight limit, and each box costs $ 5.99 shipping. Certain Amazon products are only available through Prime Pantry, not Prime Pantry – according to Amazon , “The introduction of Prime Pantry has allowed Amazon to expand its selection and offer thousands of products to Prime members that are prohibitively expensive for free shipping individually.” And, yes, Prime Pantry also includes a variety of Whole Foods / 365 products.
For all Amazon Prime ordering methods, the only way Google Express works does not replace it. (Although, if you’re trying to give less of your money to Amazon, this will certainly help with that.) (But you can do the same at your local stores.) There is something reassuring about knowing which stores your order is coming to. on Google Express. from … something about ordering products on Amazon Prime, which is irrational, scares me. But since Google Express has no membership fees, you don’t have to choose between it and Prime. It just means you have more options from the comfort of your home.