Google may have cheap next-day shipping service

Google is developing an alternative to a service like Amazon Prime that would ship online orders within one day, sources gave out on Thursday. It's believed by the Wall Street Journal to be in talks with both retailers and shipping companies like UPS to merger its shopping search with a new shipping system. The approach would help determine which companies had stock and could meet the goal, possibly even having some shipments arrive the same day.

One of the contacts was emphatic that Google wouldn't operate its own store. It would instead work as a coordinator, talking to national and local courier services. The Gap, Macy's, and OfficeMax have been named as potential candidates.

A trial run will reportedly start in the San Francisco Bay Area with a full launch sometime in 2012. Neither Google nor UPS wouldn't directly comment on the subject.

The approach could change how physical goods are sold online and take away from not just Amazon Prime but any store that uses next-day delivery as a selling point. Prime, for $79 a year, gives free accelerated shipping. Lately, it has been turning to perks intended to help drive sales of the Kindle Fire, such as unlimited movie streaming and book 'borrowing' from the Kindle Store. [image via Qualle from Wikipedia]

By Electronista Staff