Dive Brief:
- Amazon and Google are expanding availability of their express shipping options to more markets ahead of the holidays.
- Amazon’s Prime Now offers one-hour and two-hour shipping to 24 markets, now including San Diego and Nashville.
- Google expanded its Google Express next-day shipping to much of Southern California, including Los Angeles, San Diego, and Orange County.
Dive Insight:
With online sales expected to grow up to 4% from 2014 this holiday season, Amazon and Google are battling to bring last-minute shoppers the goods they need fast. And the latest front seems to be Southern California, where both companies have announced expansions to their express shipping programs in the last week.
Offering one- and two-hour shipping options to Prime members, Amazon’s Prime Now offers thousands of essentials in 24 metropolitan areas, with San Diego and Nashville being the latest additions. Carrying a similarly-priced membership fee, Google Express offers next-day deliveries items from retail partners such as Costco, Target, and Walgreens to five metro areas, and now most of Southern California.
The holidays are a great time to get people hooked on express shipping options, with consumers looking to satisfy lots of gifting and entertaining needs at the last minute. While Amazon still has the edge in terms of coverage and time, both companies are bringing e-commerce—projected to total $105 billion this holiday season—close to the speed of getting the goods oneself.
