Google, Barnes & Noble team up for same-day delivery

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Google is teaming up with Barnes & Noble to provide users with same-day shipping for books, toys and magazines, in order to compete with market leader Amazon.

The service will be part of the search giant's Google Shopping Express and will be launched in three markets: Manhattan, West Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Products will be shipped out of Barnes & Noble stores and will involve Google employees working at the stores in those markets.

The announcement comes a day after Amazon expanded its same-day delivery service to six new cities: Baltimore, Dallas, Indianapolis, New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

Google said a $4.99 charge would be applied per book, though new subscribers won't pay the fee for the first six months.

"For us, we try to serve our customers how they want to be served. Customers like to read digital books and they like to read physical books. It's just a matter of preference," said Jaime Carey, Barnes & Noble's chief merchandising officer.

The deal is meant to boost Barnes & Noble's sales -- the company has had to close 63 stores in the past year and hive off its Nook unit. Google hopes to boost subscriptions to its shopping service in order to compete with Amazon.