After building out Google Lens to help users shop online more easily, Google is now updating the product to help people shop when they’re in a physical store by offering product insights, price comparisons, and local inventory availability. Alongside this news, the company is bringing new shopping features to Maps, and adding more Google Pay capabilities ahead of the holiday shopping season.
The updates to Google Lens build on efforts Google already offers through its Google Shopping vertical. The idea is that people also need to make similar sets of informed shopping decisions in the real world, and using Google Lens — Google’s visual search tool — can make that easier to access.
For instance, if you see a toy that you’re interested in at Target, you can take a picture of it via Google Lens to find reviews and similar products in stock at the specific location you’re visiting. You can also see if the toy is cheaper at a different retailer, like Amazon or Walmart.
Google says the new capability is powered by Shopping Graph’s 45 billion product listings and its Gemini models.
“We’re introducing a new tool that updates how people shop in physical stores, using AI to take the guesswork out of in-store shopping,” Lilian Rincon, Google’s VP of Consumer Shopping Product, told TechCrunch. “There’s nothing like the magic of in-store shopping during the holidays, and at the same time, we’ve all come to rely on reading reviews, comparing prices, and researching before buying.”
To start, you’ll be able to use the feature with beauty products, toys, and electronics at stores that share their local inventory with Google. For now, these retailers include Target, Ulta Beauty, Sally Beauty Supply, Macy’s, Nordstrom, and others.
“We know consumers are really liking using Lens,” Rincon said. “In fact, Lens is used for nearly 20 billion visual searches every month, and 20% of Lens searches are shopping-related. So, we’re excited to bring this to market. It gives some of that important information to help a shopper feel more confident.”
The feature is available starting today in the Google and Chrome apps for Android and iOS for U.S. users who have opted into sharing their location (available here, here, here, and here).
As for the new Maps features, Google says that users will soon be able to search for products in Maps and find nearby stores that are selling them. For instance, you can search for a holiday sweater to see which options stores near you are currently carrying.
You will be able to search for home goods, electronics, clothing, and groceries. The new Maps feature is launching in the U.S. in the coming weeks.
Google is also adding more buy now, pay later options to Google Pay, after initially adding Affirm and Zip earlier this year. Users can now use Afterpay as an option when checking out with Google Pay, with support for Klarna coming soon.
Plus, Google will soon start piloting a service to help merchants better identify fraudulent transactions. The company says the service will help unblock legitimate transactions that may be mistaken as fraud.
