Google Commerce: July 2013

Commerce Blog

The official blog for the latest news from Google Commerce

Building a seamless shopping experience across devices

7/26/13

The importance of mobile devices has never been clearer: each week, tens of millions of people use Google Shopping and Google search on their mobile phones, generating hundreds of millions of searches. And many of these people are looking for product information; 76% of shoppers use the web to research purchases and 57% of people use mobile devices to help them shop smarter.
We want to give you the best answers quickly, regardless of the device you use. We’ve worked hard to make it easier for you to find the product information you need, whether you’re at home or on the go, using Google Shopping and Google Search. And we’re happy that you’re finding it easier to discover and research products, and to find where to buy those products online or in-store at the best price. For example, we’ve introduced 360-degree product imagery, Shortlists and more relevant reviews.
We want to focus our efforts on Google Shopping and Google Search, to create a better, more consistent shopping experience across all devices. To help us focus on that goal, we’ll be shutting down the standalone Google Shopper app on August 30.
Going forward, you can search directly on Google (or use the Google Search app on mobile devices) or visit google.com/shopping in any browser. Our best features are there: you can compare prices, shop on the go, find a product in stock locally, check out product photos, read reviews or find product details. You’ll find more than a billion products, from over one hundred thousand sellers -- including 10,000 new merchants and marketplaces in the past three months.
Thank you for using the standalone Google Shopper app. We hope that you’ll keep searching with Google to get exactly the answers you need to shop smarter across the web, and we look forward to sharing some great things we have coming on mobile for the holidays!Posted by Sameer Samat, VP, Google Shopping

Google

Labels: Commerce Blog

From clipping to clicking – new research looks at the future of coupons

7/18/13

For a generation, clip-and-save coupons in freestanding newspaper inserts (FSIs) were the norm for shoppers. But with the introduction of downloadable, print-at-home, and digital coupons in recent years, shoppers today have a whole new array of options to receive and redeem better, more relevant discount offers -- whether at home or on the go. Internet marketing research firm eMarketer estimates that mobile coupon users will grow to 53.2 million by 2014. Zavers by Google, the digital coupon solution that delivers relevant discount offers to shoppers on their desktops and mobile devices, completed a study with Shopper Sciences to dive into the current state of couponing, the potential of digital and mobile couponing, and to provide guidance in developing a strategy for the future. The Zavers study found that while women and moms have traditionally been the typical coupon user, men are quickly catching up -- now representing about a third of all coupon users across all categories.
Millennials also signify an expanding segment of the digital coupon market. According to our research, Millennials are more likely to use a mobile device to receive a percentage-off discount than any other age group. Millennials are also more likely to embrace digital solutions that help them manage coupons and offers.
Finally, our studies revealed that more than 40% of shoppers have left a retail store without purchasing because they knew they left a coupon at home. 54% percent of shoppers said that the ability to load digital coupons to a loyalty card or personal identifier (such as a smart phone) was “very” or “extremely useful.” The data suggests that consumers value the ability to easily access their coupons whenever and wherever they are.
There are three key things that retailers and manufacturers can do to create a winning couponing program in the digital age:
1. Recognize the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT) -- the moment when a shopper is searching online for products and information -- as a key opportunity for delivering relevant and tailored coupons.
2. Set up cloud-based redemption and reconciliation so coupons can be tracked and cleared in real time and promotions can be evaluated and adjusted quickly. 3. Understand your customer purchase habits and reward your best customers with motivating incentives.
Preview the below to learn more about the Zavers by Google coupon study, or download the complete white paper.

Posted by Jenny Liu, Product Marketing Manager, Zavers by Google

Google

Labels: Commerce Blog

Discover offers with Google and save on the go

7/10/13

AndroidiOSsitesave it to your Google account

Discover and redeem offers easily in the new Google Maps appnew Google Maps app

Find offers while searching on GoogleSee relevant offers on your favorite websites

CosiMichaels StoresRadioShackRed MangoRed RobinUlta BeautyGoogle PlayApp Storegoogle.com/offers/consumerPosted by Gayathri Rajan, Director of Product Management, Google Offers