[0] is the reuters article that the linked article is based on. It provides a lot more information on the plans and a lot less time spent speculating (with a very authoritative tone) the reasons behind the change. ("Anti-amazon tools"? really?)<p>Also, it doesn't say anywhere that they are boosting amazon's competitors directly (or that they are "boosting" anything at all), just that amazon is unlikely to participate in this program that Google is creating that integrates stuff like checkout processes, carts, and payment processes into one unified system.<p>[0] <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-google-retail-exclusive/exclusive-where-can-i-buy-google-makes-push-to-turn-product-searches-into-cash-idUSKBN1GV0B0?feedType=RSS&feedName=technologyNews" rel="nofollow">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-google-retail-exclusive/e...</a>
The headline is substantively misleading; Google isn't planning to <i>boost</i> Amazon's competitors, it is planning on extending the degree to which it <i>is</i> Amazon’s competitor (which it already is, in a number of spaces, including product search and retail marketplace) by extending it's product search / retail marketplace strength.<p>Now, unlike Amazon, Google's marketplace approach (both the existing approach with Google Express and the approach with the new offering which seems to largely involve the same partners at launch as Google Express already has) keeps the <i>actual</i> retailer's identity front and center, and facilitates retailer-consumer ongoing relationships as opposed to Amazon's approach which minimizes seller identity.
I think people that blindly complain about google take for granted the amount of work they have done, and the amount of free services they provide (yes yes, nothing is free, I get it). Perhaps these same people were not alive in the 90s to see how bad things were then. But yet, this war of google vs amazon only leaves customers, who don't give a crap about who wins, with less options. Do we need to pick sides? No company can provide every service you need. What happened about doing one thing, but doing it well?<p>Amazon loses because now I don't trust them to show me the best product. Only what they want me to find.<p>Google loses because now I don't trust them to show me the best search result. Only what they want me to find.<p>You lose. Nobody wins. Corporations continues to profit.
Not sure how common this is but, when I know I am going to buy something I use Google to search. But really, I know I want to buy it from Amazon. I'm not really searching for other places to find it. I've just gotten used to Google === search. I know Google will help me locate the Amazon links so that's what I use. However, if I start searching for things using Google and can't find Amazon links - will I start buying stuff somewhere else? The answer is no; I will start searching somewhere else.
Well this is what you get for pulling ChromeCast from Amazon (and other bad behaviour). If Google was as a brazen as that and started using its search results to start an Amazon competitor it would find itself in front of the beady eyed antitrust folks in short order. This is probably the best they could come up with and stay within the law.
Better title would be "Google plans to compete with Amazon". They are building a marketplace.<p>Will Amazon strike back and expand to general search?
Saw that Amazon is losing product search share to Google pretty quickly. Google share increased over 25% YoY. This might help continue this trend.<p>“Search engines are weakening Amazon’s hold on product search (AMZN, GOOGL, GOOG)”<p><a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/google-search-engines-weaken-amazon-hold-on-product-search-2017-12-1012130557" rel="nofollow">http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/google-search...</a>
The article does not make it clear if Google will allow Amazon to list products on an even playing field with those of the B&M retailers they mention. This is an important distinction.<p>If they do allow Amazon to list, then it provides little benefit for B&M retailers against Amazon since there is already a Google Shopping component that provides this (except without some of the more enhanced checkout features).<p>If they do not allow Amazon to list, its one of the most anti-competitive behaviors I can imagine, akin to Microsoft refusing to allow Chrome to run on Windows.
Sheer desperation on Google’s part. Customers with an intent to buy simply search directly on Amazon as first choice. You only go to an external search engine if Amazon don’t have it and then what does Amazon care if you buy elsewhere?<p>And this undermines trust in Google’s results, it’s hard to see why this makes sense for them. It’s not like these products are big money spinners for Google anyway. They’re just loss-leaders to sell more ads.
To me, this is no different than how a Grocery store does product placement. In fact, some brands pay a premium to be at the eye level. There are cases where grocery store chains promote their "value" brand above the other competition. This really isn't anything new.
I'm actually surprised Google did not do this earlier. If they can deliver a solid UX and eliminate the risk of receiving counterfeit products (looking at you, Amazon) then this could be great.
I'd say the assumption that Google has objective results at the moment anyway is faulty. Google's algorithm is regularly gamed, every single day. Its the entire SEO industry's job to influence them. I would say that this is Google taking money away from the SEO industry, cutting out the middle man.
Amazon FireOS[1] - The OS in its tablets, Phone, Kindle, TV, and Alexa - are all Android-based OS.<p>Given that, I would expect the folks at Amazon to "not do evil" in form of removing Google products from their virtual shelves.<p>This is common decency and basic fairness.<p>But heck, Amazon in 2017-2018 becoming aggressive as Microsoft used to be in the early years of this millennium.<p>(a joke about both being Seattle based is running in my mind, but I'll skip on it).<p><pre><code> [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_OS</code></pre>