Google Home taps Google Express delivery network for home shopping
Google on Thursday added shopping support to its Google Home connected speaker that rivals Amazon Echo.
Google Home users will now be able to order from select stores, with their voice, through Google Express. Saying "OK Google, order paper towels" results in Google Assistant placing an order for you, and a Google Express courier delivering the item same-day.
See also: Google Home review
The shopping feature will be available for free through April 30, 2017. Google didn't offer any details on future pricing or membership fees. Google Home sells for $139.
"Today is just the beginning of what's possible for shopping with the Google Assistant," Google wrote on its blog. "Over the coming months, we'll continue to add new features and enable purchases for other apps and services."
Here's a full list of supported retailers through Google Express (Google's Amazon Prime Now competitor):
| 99 Ranch Market | Gymboree | Paragon Sports | Target |
| Bed Bath and Beyond | Hassett Hardware | Payless ShoeSource | The Vitamin Shoppe |
| Bluemercury | Kohl's | Peninsula Beauty | Toys"R"Us / Babies"R"Us |
| Brickmans Ace Hardware | L'Occitane | PetSmart | Treasure Island Foods |
| Buy Buy Baby | Logan Hardware | Pier 1 Imports | Ulta |
| Cole Hardware | Moosejaw | Raley's | Vicente Foods |
| Costco | Nine West | Right Start | Walgreens |
| Fry's Electronics | Nob Hill Foods | Road Runner | Wayfair.com |
| Google Store | Moosejaw | Smart & Final | Western Kosher |
| Gordon's Ace Hardware | Orchard Supply Hardware | Staples | Whole Foods |
| Guitar Center | Palo Alto Toy & Sport | Sur La Table |
It makes sense for Google to wade into shopping with Google Home, given the shopping focus of the competing Amazon Echo. While Google doesn't have a wide marketplace like Amazon, it does have advertising and retail partners looking to move product.
In related smart speaker news, The Wall Street Journal reported Amazon and Google are considering adding "home phone" like features to their respective smart speakers.
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