Does this represent a viable Google service, or is it just another perk for those living in San Frangoogle to be subsidized by the electronic serfs that are Google's users?
I don't get the dig against Google's users. Why must every HN comment on Google these days be accompanies by some snark.
If it's not viable, why do you think Google is expanding it after testing it for months?
Expanding to where exactly? Nationwide? Nope, a very small and high density area. Google's loses are limited.
Don't take it a snark, but this is not Google's main line of business at all and quite a few companies have gone under doing just this. Google can afford to lose a certain amount but expect this to end when Google's growth is slowed and spending cuts need to be made.
If you pay the same prices as in store, the money has to come out of somewhere and labor to deliver same isn't that cheap.
At which point I resume actually walking to the store. I can live with that risk.