Google Buys BufferBox to Take the Friction out of the Online Shopping Experience

Google websiteGoogle has acquired BufferBox, a Canada-based startup that offers a pickup-locker service similar to Amazon Locker. BufferBox offers green pickup lockers that serve as shipping addresses for its users. Once someone signs up for the service, they’ll get a PIN in the mail, which can be used to open a locker where they’ll pick up their package at their convenience. BufferBox has one advantage over Amazon in this arena: it allows users to pick up any package in its lockers, including those from UPS and FedEx. If rolled out widely (and that’s always a legitimate “if” when it comes to Google’s acquisitions), BufferBox could take some of the headache out of the e-commerce experience. Watch BufferBox’s video explaining its service below. (Mashable, VentureBeat)