In partnership with Google Express. What if I told you that it’s possible to have a Costco order delivered the same day or the next day without setting foot in the store? And, that this same service applies to retailers like Whole Foods, Target, Petsmart, Toys’R Us, Staples, Sur la Table and more?

It’s true. You can replace time spent on regular, repeated shopping trips with something much more fun.

Meet Google Express

The savior is called Google Express and I tried it last week for the first time.

Instead of battling that horrible Costco parking lot, I joined friends at a pool party with peace of mind that a few clicks had taken care of a chore I dread. We’d just returned from three busy weeks in Europe and I the last thing I wanted to do was errands.

Don’t get me wrong. I do love Costco. Or, it’s more like a love-hate relationship. The convenience of buying certain things in bulk and browsing various offerings at a discount can’t be argued. But, the parking lot, navigating that huge cart, check-out lines as well as packing and unpacking the car make it a chore. Now, I can avoid it altogether.

How It Works

First, you need to sign up for Google Express which took just a few seconds since I already have a Gmail account.

The Google Express interface

Choose which store or stores you’d like to shop. As long as you meet each store’s minimum delivery threshold (it’s usually $15), it’s possible to order from multiple stores in one go.

I decided to focus on Costco since we were dreadfully low on necessities. I searched for items, placed them in my cart and was asked if I’d like substitutions if items were not in stock. My order was placed within minutes.

As promised, it was all delivered the next day. I appreciated that I didn’t have to sign for the delivery.

Find out how Google Express provides next-day delivery of Costco goods!

They also have an app to make ordering easy while on the go.

Google Express Benefits

It’s a time saver, first and foremost because shopping is done from home.

It’s convenient. My dog is having major surgery the same week that school starts which means I’ll be more or less housebound for quite some time. The more I can have delivered, the better.

I can use my existing Costco membership. In my experience, prices were the same as they are in the store. If you don’t have a Costco membership, you can still order with a 15% surcharge.

It’s fast. I never order from Target online because the shipping time is slow, but now it can arrive the next day. It’s the best place for users to buy birthday presents.

I will save money because I tend to impulse buy random things at Costco (and elsewhere) when shopping in person. I am more risk averse on the computer.

Find out how Google Express provides next-day delivery of Costco goods! Try it free for 6 months and get a $15 credit here.

(I will say that I do wish that fresh produce delivery was an option. At the moment, it’s not an option for delivery via Whole Foods or Costco, but if you’re a CSA subscriber or like to pick out your own, this won’t be of concern. I am mostly a shopper of bulky nonperishable goods at Costco anyway.)

 

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Katie Dillon is the managing editor of La Jolla Mom. She helps readers plan San Diego vacations through her hotel expertise (that stems from living in a Four Seasons hotel) and local connections. Readers have access to exclusive discounts on theme park tickets (like Disneyland and San Diego Zoo) and perks at luxury hotels worldwide through her. She also shares insider tips for visiting major cities worldwide like Hong Kong, London, Paris, and Shanghai that her family has either lived in or visits regularly (or both).

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7 Comments

  2. I was an early user of #GoogleExpress and for the past year was buying a lot at the Costco “store” – I assumed I was still buying from Costco and that Google express was merely the service with deals to deliver for stores. However, today I learned Costco’s great return policy doesn’t apply to items purchased via Google Express. So, if you are buying any big ticket items from Costco, buy direct from Costco’s store or their website and avoid Google Express.

    A few weeks ago I made the mistake of buying a vacuum cleaner via Google Express that was on sale at Costco and threw away the box and packaging. I felt comfortable doing this because it was Costco, and the same brand as the one I was replacing which still works after 10+ years (only the electrical cord was going bad).

    Unfortunately, the vacuum is defective but Google Express and now I need to buy a box and packing material to ship it back to Google Express and HOPE their “returns department” will give me a full refund without the original packaging.

    Costco gets more business because they make it safe to buy from them, as their return policy is fantastic. Google Express has just made returning a Costco item extremely difficult so they will be losing my business and I wanted to tell others to be warned that buying any big ticket Costco item via Google Express will not be easy to return and you would be better off buying direct from Costco.

    Reply

  3. I was an early user of #GoogleExpress and for the past year was buying a lot at the Costco “store” – I assumed I was still buying from Costco and that Google express was merely the service with deals to deliver for stores. However, today I learned Costco’s great return policy doesn’t apply to items purchased via Google Express. So, if you are buying any big ticket items from Costco, buy direct from Costco’s store or their website and avoid Google Express.

    A few weeks ago I made the mistake of buying a vacuum cleaner via Google Express that was on sale at Costco and threw away the box and packaging. I felt comfortable doing this because it was Costco, and the same brand as the one I was replacing which still works after 10+ years (only the electrical cord was going bad).

    Unfortunately, the vacuum is defective but because I bought it from Google Express I need to buy a box and packing material to ship it back to Google Express and HOPE their “returns department” will give me a full refund without the original packaging.

    Costco gets more business because they make it safe to buy from them, as their return policy is fantastic. Google Express has just made returning a Costco item extremely difficult so they will be losing my business and I wanted to tell others to be warned that buying any big ticket Costco item via Google Express will not be easy to return and you would be better off buying direct from Costco.

    Reply

  4. Google Express is untrustworthy. They failed to deliver my order on the date specified and never contacted me. When I contacted them they immediately canceled my order without asking and told me to try the order again. No thanks. I will never be using this untrustworthy system again.

    Reply

  5. I have been using google express since more than year now. I found it very useful in avoiding a trip to always crowded stores like Costco. It also was very helpful in finding the items from alternate stores.

    Lately I am becoming less and less fond of this service.

    One reason that I have to spend minimum at one store! This is not always possible and hence I started buying unwanted stuff just to make 15$ total.

    Biggest reason I am not going to renew my membership is the fact that I found out that every item I purchased from Costco was actually 20-30% pricier than the store itself! And it was not a one off case, everything ! I wrote to them and they gave me a lame reply — the seller decides price, not we — which is not acceptable. Why on earth I would pay more for an item than what the store is selling?

    I am surely not renewing and would suggest to check the in-store price for big items at minimum.

    Reply

  6. Please don’t recommend Google Express! I live in San Francisco in an easily accessible location and over half my orders don’t come at all. The other half come late – and you end up wasting time trying to sort it out. (And their version of sorting it out is canceling your order and refunding your money 3 days later – so you’ve wasted all this time, and you still have to go shopping). When Google started Express (then called Shopping), it was a great service – I keep hoping they’ll fix the delivery, but they are getting worse, not better.

    Reply