Online shopping has greatly revolutionized retail to the point of no return.  It can be far less stressful, and far more convenient if you’re in the market for new shoes or electronics, and don’t mind waiting a day or two (and sometimes longer) for your items to arrive.  But what about the immediate stuff you need from the corner store or local strip mall?  Why don’t they deliver too?

Testing out a new Consumer Service, Google has launched a localized delivery service in San Francisco called Shopping Express.  Items come from from top retailers like Target and Walgreens.  And the best part?  Deliveries come the same day.

“Today we’re starting a new experiment, Google Shopping Express,” Tom Fallows, Google Shopping Express Product Management Director posted on Google Commerce.  “It’s a local delivery service that we hope will make it possible for you to get the items you order online the same day, and at a low cost. It’s incredibly early days and so the service is only available to a small number of people in the Bay Area.”

Testers can shop from retail stores such as Target, Walgreens, Staples, American Eagle and Toys“R”Us/Babies“R”Us as well a local shops like San Francisco’s Blue Bottle Coffee, and the Bay Area’s Palo Alto Toy & Sport and Raley’s Nob Hill Foods.

Testers can sign up here and if you’re a retailer who wants to be a part of Google’s service, click here.

No news yet as to how much the service will cost, but the price to beat is Amazon’s localized delivery service at just under $70 a year.  For now, lucky beta testers can enjoy Google’s Shopping Express free for 6 months, with no markups on purchased items.

3 most embarrassing things you might want delivered with Google Shopping Express

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While Google Shopping Express may be yet another factor contributing to America’s laziness, there’s other factors to consider with localized delivery, such as the possible embarrassment of standing in line at Walgreens holding little more than a box of condoms and a pack of gum.  Here’s the three most “embarrassing” items that just might entice Bay Area residents to try out Google Shopping Express, and like it.

Condoms – Buy it because you think you might get lucky later that day or because it is the most discreet way of buying a condom without having to deal with inquisitive eyes and judging faces.  You can use Google Shopping Express to order condoms at Walgreens.

Pads/tampons – Speaking of discrete deliveries, we’ll just throw femminine care products into the mix.  Enough on that topic…

Intimate care – No one wants to go to a store and ask which aisle hosts anti-itch wash or rash cream.  Thank goodness for Google Shopping Express!