Google Shopping Express

After six months of testing, Google has officially opened its new service, Google Shopping Express in the San Francisco Bay Area. Google Shopping Express is a new same-day delivery service that is available in the Bay Area, which includes San Francisco and San Jose.

Back in March, Google said it had started piloting the service with select shoppers. In a blog post Wednesday, the company said it was opening up the service to people in its delivery zones, which include San Francisco and San Jose.

Through the service’s site and mobile apps, consumers will be able to shop chain and local retailers and receive their purchased items on the same day.  Some participating retailers include Raley’s Nob Hill Foods, Staples, Target,Toys“R”Us/Babies“R”Us, and Walgreens. Prices online are the same as those in-store and, for now, users can get six months of free delivery (but, according to San Jose Mercury News, it will eventually cost $5 for a pick-up).

As we’ve covered before, the same-day delivery space is getting pretty crowded. Amazon and eBay offer local, same-day deliver services (in limited markets), as do startups like PostMates, Deliv, TaskRabbit and WunWun. For Google, the effort will help it take on Amazon in local commerce, as well as more closely monitor consumer behavior and remain relevant as the online and offline increasingly converge.

Via Gigaom