Search engine Google has acquired BufferBox, a Canadian start-up that delivers e-commerce goods to physical kiosks, for an undisclosed amount.
BufferBox offers a parcel storage and pickup service similar to Amazon Locker and it provides users with temporary lockers where they can retrieve packages they order online.
Founded by three graduates of University of Waterloo, the service allows users to opt for BufferBox’s service instead of own shipping address which ensures that the packages are delivered to a locker located near the user’s address which can be accessed around the clock with a PIN.
The acquistion will enable Google to expand its e-commerce business and will enable BufferBox to continue to build out its service under Google.
BufferBox remains free of charge until the end of the year, though the company eventually planned to charge $3 or $4 per delivery.
Google said in an e-mailed statement: "We want to remove as much friction as possible from the shopping experience, while helping consumers save time and money, and we think the BufferBox team has a lot of great ideas around how to do that."
