Google Buys Bufferbox – Could Compete with Amazon

Google looks to have taken a giant stride towards planting its foothold in e-commerce with its purchase of Canadian startup Bufferbox. The Canadian company is a package storage facility which allows people to keep the things they have ordered online. It provides Google an avenue to target shipping and delivery by giving the people a storage option. What this could mean is that Google is priming up to target Amazon and provide competition for the largest online retailer in the world.

Bufferbox has become one of the more popular storage services across Canada. It provides people the luxury of receiving their goods 24/7 without any hassle. Regardless of which online retailer you have placed an order at Bufferbox keeps your goods safely till it is convenient for you to retrieve them. The company has tie-ups with Metrolinx and 7-Eleven for transportation and storage.

In essence, the service is quite similar to Amazon’s Locker. The only difference is that Bufferbox allows you to keep goods from any online retailer while Amazon’s service is restricted to the things you order from their website. With the year coming to a close, Bufferbox is providing free subscription to anybody who wants to use their facilities. This is a great opportunity for consumers, especially after Google’s purchase of Bufferbox.

For Google, this means a way to target the e-commerce industry. The official statement from the company about the acquisition of Bufferbox states that Google is looking to take e-commerce to the next level. This would undoubtedly make online shopping much easier for all consumers. Now they needn’t worry about ordering online from any retailer.

This isn’t the only step Google has taken over the past year or so which points towards direct competition for Amazon. The market experts have commented that Google’s recent moves clearly indicate that the company plans to become a major player in the e-commerce industry. With Google’s signature quality and the feel-good factor, there is a chance people might shun Amazon in its favor. However, Amazon has been around for a long time and Google cannot expect people to abandon it.

Amazon has been the leading player in the e-commerce industry for some time now. The retailer has built a reputation as being reliable and efficient, something which modern day consumers look for. Google would have to build a similar level of trust with the customers if it wants to compete with Amazon directly. Otherwise, the $17 million it has paid for Bufferbox might not be a worthwhile investment for the tech giant.

Yet, there is a long way to go before Google can well and truly compete with Amazon. Amazon is by far the leading online retailer in the world and has a definite head start on Google. For the users it would mean better quality. Competition in any industry fosters innovation and improvement. Google’s latest acquisition might just prompt Amazon to start working on something new to keep the users interested. While Google has confirmed the purchase, no one knows how it intends to user Bufferbox’s services.

[Image via gigjets]