A New Way to Order Those Cute Pair of Shoes?
Just launched last week, Google now allows users to order food straight from its search results.
The way it works is that when a user searches for a restaurant that offers delivery, Google will now include a “Place an Order” option which users click on. Users then click on the delivery service they want to use (currently includes Grubhub, Delivery.com, East24, BeyondMenu and MyPizza.com) and will then be directed to that particular website so that the user can finalize the order.
The service is only available in the US for the time being and only on mobile devices. Google also plans to partner with more companies…..
Yes, bells and whistles started going off in my head over what this could mean for the logistics industry. Can you imagine placing an order for those cute shoes via Google’s search and then being given a choice of the USPS, FedEx, UPS, a regional parcel provider or one of the many new start-up same day delivery providers to deliver your goods? Even better, an additional option of alternative locations to deliver the cute pair of shoes, what time to expect delivery or even if “free shipping” is available?
Google has certainly had its ups and downs in competing against the likes of Amazon. It does offer its Google Shopping service but it’s one that I constantly forget about and when I do remember it, I find it not exactly the most helpful. But, perhaps now they’ve hit upon something – utilizing the one thing that made them a household name, its search capabilities.
Of course, I can hear the arguments against this possibility, primarily taking consumers away from retailers’ websites but here’s another thought..does it really matter? A sale is a sale. Besides, for those with an omni-channel presence, these retailers could potentially take advantage of a possible Google Search option by promoting an “in store pick up” price versus an online price for example.
Could something like this replace the marketplace concept? I think it has potential particularly as e-commerce continues to evolve and mobile takes over from laptops and desktops. Time is a precious commodity and this could greatly reduce the number of click throughs and thus speed the buying process along.
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