An unholy alliance between Google and Walmart could give Amazon a run for its money

In the great retail war of our time that pits Amazon against every other major retailer, a new shopping initiative from Google could tip the scales back in favor of big box stores.

On Monday, Google announced a new program called Shopping Actions. Under the initiative, when Google users search with the phrase "Where can I buy [product]," Google will serve product listings from mega-retailers including Walmart, Target, Costco, and more. Customers can either directly buy these products from the stores' websites, or put them in their Google Express shopping carts.