Google Shopping

Google Shopping, formerly Google Product Search, Google Products and Froogle, is a Google service invented by Craig Nevill-Manning which allows users to search for products on online shopping websites and compare prices between different vendors. Google announced at its Marketing Live event in May 2019 that the new Google Shopping will integrate the existing Google Express marketplace into a revamped shopping experience. In the U.S, Google Shopping is accessible from the web and mobile apps, available on Android and iOS. Google Shopping is also available in France, accessible from the web only. Like its predecessor, Google Shopping is free and requires a personal Google account in order to purchase from the platform. A colored price tag icon replaces the parachute icon from Google Express. On the web, shoppers can either go to the Google Search homepage to enter a search query and then select the Shopping tab under the navigation bar, or go directly to the Google Shopping homepage to search for specific items, browse departments, and see trending items and promotional offers. The Google Shopping mobile app opens directly to the shopping homepage, where shoppers can similarly search or browse, and access their shopping lists, order history and notification settings. Currently, the product inventory available on the app is less robust than what is available on the web, since it currently reflects items shoppers can only buy directly on Google. In addition to shopping from well-known online stores, users can shop with confidence at lesser-known online stores when they choose to buy directly on Google, which includes a Google-backed guarantee. The guarantee includes Google customer support, available 7 days a week, and added assistance if the order is late, if something is wrong with the shipment, and to simplify the return and refund process - regardless of the seller. When on the web, shoppers can identify products they can buy on Google by either looking for the colored cart icon within a product image, or by selecting the Buy on Google filter. Free delivery is available on qualifying orders that meet the store’s minimum order amount. Shoppers can see personalized product recommendations and promotional offers on the Google Shopping homepage depending on their Google account settings. Other features geared to help shoppers find the best prices and places to buy include the ability to track the price of a product, compare the total order cost at online or nearby stores, and access product reviews and related video content. Over the coming year, additional shopping capabilities will be rolled-out and tied into other Google products and platforms in order to simplify a shopper’s buying journey. Originally, the service listed prices submitted by merchants, and was monetized through AdWords advertising like other Google services. However, in May 2012, Google announced that the service (which was also immediately renamed Google Shopping) would shift in late-2012 to a paid model where merchants would have to pay the company in order to list their products on the service.In June 2017, Google Shopping was fined a record €2.4 billion by the EU Commission for giving its own online shopping services top priority in search results.