Google expands partnership with Shopify, launches new features to increase merchant discoverability

Google is expanding its partnership with Shopify to allow the e-commerce giant’s 1.7 million merchants to feature their products across Google, the company announced at the Google I/O event this week. 

Few details about the partnership were revealed during the announcement, but Google did announce more ways for merchants, whether they are big-box retailers or new direct-to-consumer brands, to get discovered by consumers. Google is launching new shopping experiences designed around the data collected through its Shopping Graph.

A dynamic, AI-enhanced model, the company explained Shopping Graph understands a changing set of products, sellers, brands, reviews, and the product information and inventory data the company receives from brands and retailers directly — as well as how those attributes relate to one another – to make shopping sessions more helpful by connecting people with over 24 billion listings from millions of merchants across the web. It works in real-time so people can discover and shop for products that are available. 

For example, the software giant explained when people will take screenshots of things they like online, Google will ensure they take action on those screenshots afterward. This means, when a consumer will view any screenshot in Google Photos, Google will provide them with a suggestion to search the photo with Lens, allowing them to see search results that can help them find that pair of shoes or wallpaper pattern that caught their eye. 

Another new feature in Chrome will work locally on consumers’ devices to let them see their open carts when they open a new tab so they can pick up their shopping right where they left off. 

In addition, Google said it is soon going to let consumers link their favourite loyalty programs from different merchants to their Google account to show them the best purchase options across Google. This is to help brands and their customers foster a more direct relationship.

Google says it will introduce more updates to make shopping experiences better for consumers at the Google Marketing Livestream 2021 scheduled to be held next week.