These days most people would question why someone would take time out to go to a bookstore and actually buy one in print when you can fire up your smartphone, tablet or laptop and instantly browse countless titles and then simply purchase one from the comfort of your couch. The fact is that there are still people who prefer reading books the old fashioned way, and if they happen to be located in Manhattan, West Los Angeles or the San Francisco Bay Area, they can hit up Google Shopping Express to receive same day delivery for books ordered through the service.
Those who don’t know, Google Shopping Express picks up products from local stores and is therefore able to deliver them quickly to customers. The service is in beta right now and was launched in select areas only. All of the products are sold through the Shopping Express website and now it is possible to buy books through the website as well.
Google has partnered with Barnes & Noble to make this happen. Books ordered through the service will be picked up from the bookseller’s local branches in the aforementioned locations and then delivered on the same day. Barnes & Noble has a same day delivery service of its own for customers in Manhattan who pay a $25 yearly subscription fee.
While Amazon is working on expanding its same day delivery service this is a direct move from Google into the retail giant’s core territory: books. It is also worth noting that this partnership has been forged at a time when authors and publishers are having spats with Amazon primarily due pricing negotiations.