Google Express offers store delivery in KC

[earthling]

Google Express offers delivery around KC from stores like Costco, Whole Foods, B&N, PetSmart and Walgreens, several others. Is $5 delivery fee for orders over $15 (might depend on store) or unlimited delivery with $95 annual membership. Seems like 2 hour delivery is possible with $35+ orders, not sure if available in KC yet but site refers to it.

They have a 6 month free delivery trial if signing up by Oct 31.

https://www.google.com/express/

Can install mobile app too.

[brewcrew1000]

Cool, i really thought Google Express folded up.

[bobbyhawks]

Thanks for this! Getting Costco/Walgreens deliveries for free will be great. If this catches on enough to warrant cold item delivery and alcohol delivery, it would be really great (esp. if the 2 hour delivery can happen after 5pm). To me, those are the necessary elements that will make a membership worth it after the free trial.

[earthling]

Have signed up for the 'free 6 month trial' and did a Costco order just as a test (I live close and go often anyway).

Placed the order this morning (Thursday) but it doesn't deliver until Saturday and it didn't give a specific range of time. I wonder if it's a packaged order in a taped up box (like an Amazon shipment) or loose and exposed in bags like grocery delivery. Will find out...

If trying out the 6 month trial, might put a note on your calendar to cancel near end of 6 months as it will charge your card automatically I think. $95/yr means you'd need 20+ deliveries per year to be worth it (vs. $5 per delivery).

One nice thing about this is you can search a product and it shows all stores that carry it and can do price comparisons right there. Costco does come in a lot less with many commercial brand products.

[earthling]

So the Costco order isn't from local store, it is shipped FedEx from Costco distro center near Dallas, so Google Express is essentially a portal into Costco.com offering free/cheap delivery and consolidated searches across other stores. Not sure if the case with all Express stores but probably so in many cases. Apparently when Express adds cold/frozen items or same day delivery to a market, then they have local shoppers at local stores doing a local delivery, which they aren't offering yet in KC.

Amazon is coming in less with some commercial products (with no tax) than most Express stores, especially cheaper than Walgreens on Express if a bulk item, like 4 toothpaste. However Costco coming in less than Amazon on many items I checked. Google Express did have a Costco tax (6.7%), a bit less than Midtown store (7.3%). The advantage of Costco is forever returns for most items.

[bobbyhawks]

My first order as a test was from Walgreen's. I ordered on Wednesday and am not slated to get it until Saturday. That is not really the turnaround I was expecting. The app review comments regarding turnaround aren't great either, so the calendar reminder idea to consider canceling is a great suggestion! Here's to hoping the program gets better.

[earthling]

Is your Walgreens order being shipped via FedEx or UPS? You can check tracking number, where it is coming from.

[bobbyhawks]

FedEx. 5.4% tax.

[earthling]

Is curious Google Express is only available in certain markets given items are shipped from a warehouse that could be shipped anywhere. Maybe it's because they plan on local same day delivery eventually in the selected markets but seems like they could open up packaged items to anywhere in country with 2 day shipment.

Looks like this is mostly effective for Costco people who don't live near a store and maybe others for specialty items, like Whole Foods. Otherwise Amazon Prime better than Walgreens and others for more common items. Using Express via Costco is better than Costco.com in the sense there are actually more 'store items' on Costco via Express than on Costco.com.