Google, Barnes & Noble team up for same-day book deliveries

Google and Barnes & Noble, taking on their mutual rival Amazon.com, have paired up to offer same-day delivery of books purchased online.

The service -- initially limited to three communities -- launched Thursday as part of Google Shopping Express, which allows customers to purchase products from certain retailers and have them delivered later that day.

“We’re excited that people in San Francisco Bay Area, West L.A. and Manhattan will be able to use Google Shopping Express to get same-day deliveries from Barnes & Noble, joining our existing retail partners like Target, Costco and Staples,” Google told The Times in an email.

Google Shopping Express charges $4.99 for a same-day delivery, but there is no per-delivery charge for subscribers to the service. Subscriptions are free for the first six months, but Google has not said how much they will cost after that. Amazon also offers same-day delivery in certain markets. It charges $9.98 per delivery or $5.99 for members of Amazon Prime, which costs $99 annually.

Barnes & Noble is hoping its new partnership will help it spur sales and undercut Amazon, the leader in the book retail business. Barnes & Noble has struggled to compete with Amazon, shutting down several brick-and-mortar stores around the country while also struggling to sell its Nook e-reader tablets.

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