Commerce Blog
The official blog for the latest news from Google Commerce
New Ways to Add Money to Wallet Balance
10/29/14
What if you never needed to remember to add money to your Wallet Balance? Now, you don’t. With the latest version of Google Wallet you’ll be able to
add money automatically
to your Wallet Balance and set up
Low Balance alerts
, so that you’ll always have money in your Wallet Balance when you need it.
Add Money Automatically
Today, we are announcing a new way to add money to your Wallet Balance automatically through recurring bank transfers. The feature is secure, and will give you fast access to your money, with no Google Wallet fees.
With recurring bank transfers, adding money to your Wallet Balance takes care of itself. Simply schedule a recurring transfer from your bank account right into your Wallet Balance, and never worry about adding money to your Wallet Balance again. Choose the amount, set a schedule (weekly, bi-weekly or monthly) and you’re all set. Money will be added to your Wallet Balance automatically, and you can cancel your transfer at any time.
To set up a recurring transfer,
go to “Add money” then select
“Set up a recurring transfer”
There are no fees or minimum balance requirements for your Wallet Balance. And rest assured, your money is safe. Your Wallet Balance is backed by 24/7 fraud monitoring and the Google Wallet Fraud Protection Guarantee, which covers 100% of any transactions made without your authorization. If your device is lost or stolen, you can easily disable the Google Wallet app online or by contacting
Google customer support
.
Set up Low Balance Alerts
With Low Balance alerts, you can keep track of your Wallet Balance and make sure you have enough to pay for the things you need, or to send money to friends and family.
To set up Low Balance alerts,
open the Google Wallet app
and
touch
“Low Balance alert”
from
the
Wallet Balance screen
Spend your Wallet Balance in stores by swiping your Google Wallet Card at millions of locations in the US (including the District of Columbia) where Debit MasterCard® is accepted*, or use it to withdraw cash from an ATM. You can also use your Wallet Balance to Tap & Pay with any Android device running Kit Kat or higher at hundreds of thousands of locations throughout the US, on any mobile carrier. And as always, you can use it to make online purchases on Google Play, Google Express and anywhere you see the “Buy with Google” button.
Download the new version of the Google Wallet app on the
Google Play Store
and the
App Store
rolling out this week in the US, to use these new features.
Posted by Andrew Waterman, Product Manager, Google Wallet
* The Google Wallet Card is issued by The Bancorp Bank, Member FDIC, pursuant to license by MasterCard International Incorporated.
MasterCard is a registered trademark of MasterCard® International Incorporated.
See Cardholder Agreement for details.
Google Express: more cities, more stores and a new name
10/13/14
One year ago, the first Google Shopping Express order was delivered—a box of granola. Our idea was to make shopping your favorite local stores as easy and fast as shopping online, and to help you get what you need delivered the same day. Since then, you’ve told us how we helped you restock diapers in the nick of time, made sure you had Bananagrams for family game night, and even made you feel connected to the outside world when you were home sick. Along the way, we've expanded to new locations, brought on more merchants, and offered more products. And now, we’re adding to the program you love.
More cities, more stores and more products
Starting today, we’re expanding to three new cities: Chicago, Boston, and Washington, D.C. Across all our cities, more than 7 million people can now access our same-day delivery service, and in Northern California almost 12 million can use our next-day service.
We’re also adding more merchants: 16 in total over the last couple of months. We’ve added national brands including 1-800-Flowers, Barnes & Noble, Nine West, PetSmart, Vitamin Shoppe and Sports Authority, and regional merchants such as Paragon Sports in New York and Vicente Foods in Los Angeles. In our new markets, we’ve added regional brands including Stop & Shop in Boston; Giant Food in D.C.; and Lux Roses, TigerDirect, Treasure Island Foods and Wrigleyville Sports in Chicago.
Additionally, customers in the Bay Area who are 21 and over can now order alcohol. Cheers (and please drink responsibly)!
Express membership
Starting today, shoppers who decide to become Google Express members will enjoy:
Free same-day or overnight delivery on eligible orders over $15.*
First dibs on delivery windows
Shared membership with a household member
Membership costs $95/year or $10/month. Or you can choose to pay as you go, at $4.99 per eligible order.
Learn more on our Help Center
. Either way, we don’t add any hidden markups, so you pay the same price for your stuff on Google Express as you would in-store.
New shoppers can try the
first three months of membership for free
. You can cancel it at any time, so it’s easy to test it out and decide if you like it.
A shorter name
We've also noticed people referring to us as "Google Express"—and we love it. So as of today, we've simplified our name. Plus, we've added a punch of color to our parachute:
With more cities, more merchants, and more of your favorite items, Google Express is on its way toward making your life easier by helping you get even more errands out of the way. We hope to give you more free time—and we can’t wait to hear about all the things you do with it.
Posted by Brian Elliott, Head of Partnerships, Google Shopping
*Free delivery means no shipping & service fees. Same day or overnight depends on availability of delivery windows. Eligible orders are $15+ before taxes/fees in select delivery areas and exclude restricted items. Service fees apply to ineligible orders. Pricing may change. Requires active membership subject to terms & conditions.
Halloween's Hottest Costume Trends Are Frozen
10/13/14
Are you an Elsa, Olaf or Anna? Judging by the top trending searches for Halloween costumes on Google, you’re going to see a lot of each on the streets this October 31. The characters from Disney’s animated blockbuster make up three of the top five trending costumes this year.
While last year’s list featured popular choices from TV (Breaking Bad) and the viral video “What Does The Fox Say,” movie-themed costumes are dominating this year. Maleficent and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle costumes round out the top five. Costumes from Guardians of the Galaxy, Captain America and The Avengers take places 6 through 8, while video-game Assassin's Creed and pet costume were the only non-movie themed costumes trend to make the Top 10.
With more than half of their traffic coming from Google, online retailer
BuyCostumes.com
anticipated the surge in interest around these top costumes and tailored their Google Search advertising to ensure that they’re connecting with consumers as they’re looking for this season’s popular costumes.
“We watch the trends with a keen eye, especially around this time of year,” said Jennifer Dominiquini, chief marketing officer for BuySeasons, Inc., parent company to BuyCostumes.com. “It is important to us to leverage the trends and ensure those searching for them are finding our brand in their search.”
Trick or Doggy Treat?
It’s no surprise that canine companions frequently join the family as they take to the streets, going door to door, but more and more people are looking to incorporate their dogs into the Halloween spirit. Searches for dog costumes are trending nearly 15% higher than last year, and one pet even costume managed to crack the Top Ten trending costumes. At number 9 on this is ‘spider dog’, no doubt inspired by the viral video sensation
‘Mutant Giant Spider Dog’
, which has generated more than 99 million views on YouTube since the beginning of September. BuyCostumes.com has been seeing a surge in interest around pet costumes this season, with people also looking for ways to incorpoate their animal friends into themed costumes for the whole family.
Halloween, The DIY Way
Halloween is one of those holidays filled with the do-it-yourself spirit, particularly if the DIY costume and general Halloween trends on Google Search are any indication:
Top 10 Most Searched DIY Costumes
Top 10 Halloween DIY Searches
DIY Elsa costume
DIY mermaid costume
DIY couples costumes
DIY Minion costume
DIY Minnie Mouse costume
DIY Disney costumes
DIY Ninja Turtle costume
DIY superhero costume
DIY Olaf costume
DIY Wonder Woman costume
how to make Halloween props
how to make Halloween invitations
how to make Halloween wreaths
how to draw Halloween
how to decorate for Halloween
how to draw scary Halloween stuff
how to throw a Halloween party
how to make a Halloween mask
how to do Halloween makeup
how to plan a Halloween party
But nowhere is the the DIY Halloween spirit more alive than on YouTube. Last year, nearly one out of three Halloween costume searches on YouTube were for DIY costumes. Searches for DIY costumes on YouTube grew more than 200% in 2013 compared to the previous year.
One DIY area on YouTube that sees a significant seasonal spike every year for Halloween is in makeup. Searches for makeup on YouTube hits a high each October as millions of people search for Halloween inspiration and tips.
Whether you’re looking to show off your inner Elsa, are searching for the best outfit for Fido, or are looking to wow your friends with your DIY prowess, there are tricks and treats available for everyone this Halloween.
Posted by Danielle Bowers, Data & Trends Manager
2014 Holiday Shopper Research: Shopping Never Sleeps
10/9/14
This holiday shopping season will be our most connected ever, with devices at our fingertips helping us hunt for deals in short moments—whether it’s on a laptop at work or on a smartphone right before bed. In fact, one third of all shopping searches on Google happen between the hours of 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.
.
1
That’s because shopping doesn’t stop once the mall closes. Today’s shopper spends more time than ever researching purchases online at all hours of the day; we’ve gone from midnight snacking to midnight shopping.
To understand how digital trends will impact this year’s shopping season, we conducted our annual Holiday Shopper Intentions research with Ipsos MediaCT, surveying consumers on their shopping behavior. We found that people are shopping earlier, using online video to help with research, and turning to smartphones as personal shopping assistants.
Black Friday is becoming a month-long event
People are starting their research early and retailers are stretching Black Friday promotions across November, changing the focus from just one day to a month-long event. More than half of consumers surveyed said they’ll start their research before Thanksgiving, with 26% of shoppers having started before Halloween
.
2
Shoppers are also spending more time consulting more sources before making a decision. In 2010, shoppers used five sources of information on average before purchasing, but that has more than doubled with shoppers consulting at least 12 sources last year
.
3
This means that October through November has become a crucial period for retailers to reach shoppers online, being present with offers, information, how-tos and content.
Online shopping is the new window shopping
Shoppers are going online for inspiration at all points of their day, not just to research specific products but to see what their friends and favorite influencers are wearing. Sites like YouTube and Pinterest have become the new window displays, and a new generation of fashion influencers like
Bethany Mota
are influencing shopping decisions.
Shopping-related content on YouTube, from unboxing videos to product reviews, is becoming an important part of the holiday research process and is trending up year over year. Haul videos—or the YouTube equivalent of telling your best friend about your latest shopping purchases—spike during key shopping events and hit their peak during Black Friday weekend. Videos with "haul" in the title have have been watched more than 1.1B times on YouTube, and views are up 1.7x this year compared to last year
.
4
And shoppers aren’t just using YouTube for research ahead of time, they’re also looking up videos while they’re in stores to help them make decisions. One in four shoppers say they've used YouTube to search for a video related to a product they're considering while in a store
.
5
Your phone: The ultimate shopping assistant
One of the biggest enablers for shopping throughout the day is our mobile devices. Our research found that 75% of smartphone shoppers plan to use their phones in-store this holiday season
.
6
It used to be that shoppers came to the store with little knowledge, and the sales associate educated them on products. Now shoppers are coming into stores teeming with information, and are turning to their phones as personal shopping assistants. One in three shoppers use their smartphones to find info instead of asking store employees
.
7
We’ve found that when retailers understand mobile behavior in stores, they can meet shoppers online with helpful information. In fact, 46% of shoppers who use their phone in a store still end up making a purchase, an 11 point increase from 2011
.
8
Consumers are coming into stores more purposeful and informed than before, and savvy retailers are turning this into an opportunity.
Want to know more about the 2014 holiday shopper? Check out more research and case studies at
Think with Google
.
Posted by Beth Thomas, Industry Development Manager, Google
1. Google Shopping search data, July - September 2014
2. Google / Ipsos MediaCT 2014 Holiday Shopping Intentions Study, September 2014
3.
Google and Inmar, 2013
4. Google data, January 2013 - September 2014, Indexed views on YouTube
5. Google Consumer Survey, September 2014
6.
Google / Ipsos MediaCT 2014 Holiday Shopping Intentions Study, September 2014
7. Google Mobile In-Stores study May 2013
8. Google Nielsen, November 2013
Top holiday tips for retailers
10/2/14
With October kicking off this week, the holiday shopping season is just around the corner. According to our
recent research
, 29% of shoppers plan to start their holiday shopping before Halloween. With this in mind, we’ve put together a
Holiday Shopping Checklist
filled with the season’s best practices for retailers to maximize performance across both Search and Shopping campaigns. In addition to our checklist, here are the top holiday trends from last year and tips from the Google Shopping team on how to make this Q4 a good one.
Address increased shopping demand today.
Last holiday season, traffic sent to merchants from Google Shopping doubled year-on-year
.
1
This momentum has continued and in July we saw traffic sent to merchants surpass last year’s peak holiday traffic from Google Shopping
.
2
Not only has consumer interest increased, but it is also beginning earlier. Our
research
shows last year consumer interest in Black Friday was up 27% from 2012 and related searches started about a week earlier than the prior year. Get the most out of this high volume shopping period by establishing your marketing goals early and using our checklist to help achieve them.
Connect with mobile shoppers.
The best way to connect with your customers is to be there whenever and wherever they are looking for your products, and increasingly this is on mobile. Mobile devices drove 35% of all traffic to retail sites in the US last holiday season, and this is expected to increase to 43% by November 2014
.
3
Globally, Google Shopping sent over 3X more traffic to merchants on smartphones in holiday 2013 year-on-year
.
1
Make sure you plan for a significant proportion of your shoppers to be mobile this season.
Provide fresh and accurate information to customers.
Pricing and shipping are two of the most important factors for shoppers when making a purchase online
.
4
Update and resubmit product feeds regularly to ensure that customers see consistent pricing and inventory information across your Product Listing Ads and website. Improve the customer experience by using
automatic item updates
to update your items on Google Shopping based on the data we find on your website. If you offer free shipping, include messaging in your text ads or use the new Merchant Center
shipping configuration
tool
to reflect this in your Product Listing Ads.
New shipping configuration tool in Merchant Center
Differentiate from the competition.
With strong competition during the holidays, promotions are a key driver in determining consumer purchasing decisions. This was evident last year, as 92% of all shoppers took advantage of some type of promotion
.
5
Consider how you can differentiate your messaging by highlighting a strong promotional offer or unique value proposition. Make your Product Listing Ads stand out by using
merchant promotions
and provide an additional stamp of credibility for your business by becoming a
Google Trusted Store
. Provide additional value for shoppers by displaying
product ratings
on your PLAs. According to Diana Ruka, Senior Director of eCommerce at COACH, product ratings have provided “added value beyond price points or descriptions - they convey a message without need for words- they provide distinction.”
Example of merchant promotions, product ratings and the Google Trusted Stores badge displayed on Product Listing Ads
For more holiday tips and best practices, check out our
Holiday Shopping Checklist
or join us for our
Learn With Google Hangout
on Air on October 30 at 10:00am PST for more holiday optimization tips.
Posted by Shelby Coyne, Product Marketing Manager, Google Shopping
1 Google Internal Data Q4 ‘12 to Q4 ‘13.
2 Google Internal Data Q4 ‘13 to Q2 ‘14.
3 IBM Online Retail Holiday Readiness Report, June 2014.
(Note: IBM’s definition of ‘mobile devices’ includes smartphones and tablets.)
4 Shop.org, Holiday Planning Guide, February 2014.
5 Baynote Holiday Shopper Survey, January 2014.
Holiday Shopping Made Easy with Google Wallet
10/1/14
Fall is here, and the holiday season is right around the corner. While this time of year comes with lots of celebrations, it can also come with a never-ending holiday shopping list. Here's how Google Wallet can help you save time and speed through your shopping list safely this holiday season -- and all year-round.
When you're shopping in stores
Google Wallet works with all credit and debit cards. Use your Android phone (running Kit Kat or higher) to make
Tap & Pay
payments on any mobile carrier, at hundreds of thousands of stores in the U.S. including Toys”R”Us, Babies”R”Us, Walgreens, Petco and many more. Just look for this logo:
If you don't have an Android phone, you can swipe a Google Wallet Card everywhere Debit MasterCard® is accepted in the U.S. And because we don't want you to miss a good holiday deal, Google Wallet lets you store coupons, loyalty and gift cards right on your phone.
When you're buying online
Speed through online and mobile checkout wherever you see the “Buy with Google” button, at merchants like Priceline, Jack Threads, NewEgg and
many more
. Simply press the "Buy with Google" button to check out in as few as two clicks.
When you need to send money
With Google Wallet, you can
send money
to anyone in the U.S. with an email address. Send money from your phone with the Google Wallet app, or in Gmail from your desktop by clicking the $ sign in your attachments bar.
Keeping your money safe and you in control
Google Wallet sends you a real-time notification after each transaction. This not only helps you keep track of your spending, but also provides an additional level of security. And if your phone gets lost or stolen, you can remotely disable the Google Wallet app at wallet.google.com.
At Google, we take fraud protection seriously. Google Wallet stores your credit and debit card information on secure servers, not your phone, and encrypts your payment information with industry-standard SSL (secure socket layer) technology. When you use Google Wallet to Tap & Pay, we don't send your real card number to the merchant. Instead we send a virtual card number along with a one-time-use security code. Google Wallet is also backed by 24/7
Fraud Protection
, which covers 100% of unauthorized transactions.
Google Wallet is an easy way to speed through your holiday shopping. Download Google Wallet today on the
Play
or
App Store
.
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New Ways to Add Money to Wallet Balance
Google Express: more cities, more stores and a new...
Halloween's Hottest Costume Trends Are Frozen
2014 Holiday Shopper Research: Shopping Never Sleeps
Top holiday tips for retailers
Holiday Shopping Made Easy with Google Wallet
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