Google and Facebook made their reputations by helping people find information or friends online. But the two rivals have been making some surprising moves in a different direction — the business of selling and delivering goods.
Facebook is trumpeting its new Gifts service that lets users order a wide range of stuff, from wine and cupcakes to pet toys and children’s clothes, and have them delivered to friends. Google, meanwhile, has been tight-lipped about its recent deal to buy BufferBox, a small company that operates temporary lockers where shoppers can take delivery of items they purchase online. But some believe Google will combine the startup’s delivery expertise with other services to help merchants sell products through Google.
Each venture is new and faces challenges. But if today’s e-commerce is dominated by well-known retailers like Amazon and Walmart.com, analysts say Google and Facebook might see these initiatives as both a potential source for new revenue and a strategy for keeping their users engaged — while giving people one less reason to visit Amazon or competing sites.
“These companies want to keep people from leaving. They would love to have a complete ecosystem where they own every part of the customer experience, from browsing to buying and repeat visits,” said Sucharita Mulpuru, an e-commerce expert at the Forrester tech research firm.
While Google still dominates the business of selling advertising keyed to Internet search queries, online shoppers today are more likely to start their quests on Amazon than Google, according to some studies. If that trend continues, analysts warn, it could make Google’s site less attractive to retail advertisers.
Facebook also has good reasons to offer shopping on its site, as the social network seeks to broaden its business beyond selling advertising and games. Facebook made Gifts available to all U.S. users in December. But Sterne Agee investment analyst Arvind Bhatia estimated the program could become a significant revenue source, contributing “several hundred million dollars” of annual earnings.
Facebook isn’t selling its own products; instead it partnered with big chains and independent merchants that sell items through the Gifts program and give Facebook a cut of the proceeds.
Google, meanwhile, is selling digital goods such as music and videos through its Google Play online store with electronic payments.