Google has ‘no plans’ to become a retailer, says VP of Shopping

While Google has made some recent moves into the shopping space, the company isn’t looking to set up its own retail system right now. In an interview with AllThingsD, Google Shopping VP Sameer Samat said that “We aren’t planning on being a retailer... We don’t view being a retailer right now as the right decision.” Instead, it hopes to “provide a level playing field” for existing sellers who use the Google Shopping platform. That reasoning, Samat says, was behind the decision to buy storage locker company BufferBox, which offers a service similar to that of Amazon’s Locker program. We haven’t got a timeline or many details about how Google plans to use BufferBox in the future, but Samat’s comments indicate it could be used to receive products shipped by existing retailers but sold through Google Shopping.

Google has focused more on shopping and its own physical device market this year, unveiling several Nexus products and relaunching Google Product Search as Google Shopping, which charged sellers to participate. However, it’s also faced problems with its supply chain and online checkout process. The Nexus 4 remains difficult to find over a month after its launch, with initial stocks selling out in minutes, prompting a Google UK manager to apologize for what he called “unacceptable” service.