Google enhances in-store and online product research
Google is providing shoppers new ways to obtain product information wherever they are and also expanding some payment features.
The tech giant is updating its Google Lens tool with new artificial intelligence image recognition technology to snap a photo of an item in a store to find product information, similar products in-stock, whether a store's price is competitive and shopper reviews.
This new functionality is supported by the Google Shopping Graph, a real-time dataset of products, inventory, and merchants with more than 45 billion listings, in-stock inventory data from a range of retailers, and Google Gemini generative AI models.
To start, consumers will be able to use this feature with beauty products, toys or electronics at stores of all sizes that share their local inventory with Google by tapping the Lens icon in their search bar to try these in-store updates, which are available in the Google Android and iOS app for U.S. users who have opted in to share their precise location.
And in the coming weeks, U.S. shoppers will be able to search for products in Google Maps, find nearby stores selling them and browse relevant inventory. Products eligible for this type of Maps-based search will include home goods, electronics, clothing and items from grocery retailers.
[READ MORE: Google expands AR assistance for search-based shopping]
Payment
Google is also expanding shopping features designed to provide more flexibility and security to customers when they pay. Earlier in 2024, the company introduced buy now, pay layer options to Google Pay with partners Affirm and Zip. Now it is adding Afterpay as a flexible payment option and Klarna is coming soon.
In addition, Google is expanding its virtual cards feature that conceals American Express, Capital One and Citi card numbers during online transactions to Discover cardholders in the U.S. who can set up and use a virtual card from their Chrome or Android device.
The company also plans to soon begin piloting a service to help retailers better identify fraudulent transactions and help prevent fraudsters from using stolen financial information while helping unblock good transactions that may be mistaken as fraud.
"A safe and secure payments ecosystem is critical for both consumers and merchants — and we’re committed to doing our part," Lilian Rincon VP, product management, Google, said in a corporate blog post. "Here’s hoping that these features help you stress less, get your shopping done and spend more time with friends and family over the holidays."
