Google in two big moves sure to impact retail

New York -- Google made two announcements on Wednesday, both of which will impact retail.



In the first, the search engine giant said that the “buy” buttons it announced earlier this year will be deployed on a test basis in the next few weeks. The feature, called Purchases on Google, will allow consumers to purchase products directly from ads in select promoted mobile search ads.



After clicking on the ad, consumers are taken to a retailer-branded product page hosted by Google. Checkout is done through the customer’s saved payment credentials in his or her Google Account.



Google will be testing the feature with about a dozen retail partners over the next few weeks, with plans to roll it out more widely by late 2015 or early 2016, TechCrunch reported.



In a move that will impact retailers in a less direct way, Google is making waves in the world of beacons, which are increasingly being deployed to enhance the in-store shopping experience.



The company launched Eddystone (named after a lighthouse in the U.K), a new open way for Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons to communicate with mobile devices. The standard can be used by for both Android and Apple phones.



According to Google, Eddystone will offer precise location capabilities, making it easier for apps to find and communicate with nearby devices and beacons.



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