Google’s New Search Features Let Shoppers See Curbside, in-Store Pickup Offerings

Brief:

• Google has upgraded its Shopping results on Google Search to assist consumers to discover regional organizations, and inspect for services like curbside and in-store pickup, the platform announced on Wednesday.
• Users can access the “Close-by” filter under the Shopping tab on Google or add the words “near me” to a search to find regional stores. Consumers can examine if products they’re seeking match those readily available in nearby shops, along with access information on how far away each store is and the shop’s business hours within Google Maps, per a company article.
• Consumers can likewise see which stores offer curbside or in-store pickup, click to call the store, and access a direct link to instructions to the shop.

Insight:

Google’s choice to customize its shopping tools stems in part from search patterns the platform experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The tech giant saw Google searches for terms like “curbside pickup” and “safe shopping” surge “significantly” over a previous couple of months, Swati Trehan, item manager of Google Shopping, wrote in a blog site post.

As a result, the tech giant made adjustments to make it much easier for clients to find businesses that use certain shopping services, and for organizations to be able to present those services to Google users. To participate, services can update their Google My Service profile and publish their product feeds to the company’s Google Merchant Center, Trehan’s post notes.

The issue of finding items in-store or online isn’t unique during the health crisis. Early on during the coronavirus pandemic, significant sellers, consisting of Amazon, were afflicted by item out-of-stocks.

Beyond the updated search tools, Google has been presenting other shopping features as well. In July, Google’s Location 120 research study and advancement laboratory debuted Shoploop, a video shopping platform for finding, examining, and buying items. The business likewise lets merchants sell through its Buy on Google checkout platform without paying commissions and integrated PayPal and Shopify to help with payments.

It’s clear that small businesses specifically have faced troubles due to the coronavirus pandemic, and might benefit most from a few of Google’s updates. Other businesses, consisting of Builder.ai, eBay, Venmo, Lowe’s, and Facebook, have likewise stepped up with brand-new tools or money to support small organizations during the health crisis.