Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) does not want to be outdone by Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) or the dozens of national retailers which have offered massive discounts on items to bring in foot and online traffic during Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Google Play, the search company’s online store, has cut prices on some of the items it sells by three quarters.
According to the “Google Play Team”, shoppers can
Take advantage of our limited-time deals on books, games, movies, music, magazines and more as we kick off the holiday season! Don’t delay in picking up on these amazing offers—whether it’s top music from $1.99, bestselling books from 75% off, TV seasons on sale and amazing movie deals, or steep gaming discounts!
Google has repeatedly demonstrated that it is willing to aggressively price its products, or give them away for free, to advance its presence in critical internet battle grounds which include advertising, operating systems, e-commerce, and mapping. The Google Play initiative does not appear much different from its broader strategy. Amazon’s leadership in the e-reader and e-book sector is substantial. And, Amazon, Apple NASDAQ: AAPL), and Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) hold the high ground in streaming media. In other words, Google has its work cut out for it, if it wants to advance in any of these businesses.
Some of the offers in the Google Play holiday sale are indeed very aggressive. The “Play” store charges only $7.49 for the wildly successful “Fifty Shades Trilogy”. Shoppers can rent “Hangover III”, part of the successful movie trilogy, for only $3.99. The popular Electronic Arts “Need For Speed: Most Wanted” app is on sale for only $1.99.
Google will likely not post the results of its aggressive holiday promotions for the public to see. And, Google’s investors may not care about them, because “Google Play” sales are such a tiny part of the company’s overall revenue. However, the holiday sale represents how much Google wants to get into the sectors of multimedia, e-books, and online games. Google does not dominate any of these, but management must believe the search company cannot fall far behind in them, since these products are what tethers many of its competitors’ customers to their services.
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