Google Ramps Up Shopping Tools

Holiday-Gifts-BBGoogle has introduced the ability to read and share reviews in Google Shopping. The company on Tuesday announced the addition of Shortlists to Google Shopping, allowing consumers to bookmark and then compare product features on Google Shopping and other sites across the Web before making a purchase.

Shortlist allows consumers to add notes and details about a specific product. The price appears alongside notes and images. Friends can keep track of products and prices, as well as share the Shortlist to compare notes and add comments.

More holiday shoppers will find "motivation" online this year, according to the National Retail Federation’s holiday consumer spending survey conducted by BIGinsight. Some 47.3% of consumers said they will look for holiday gift ideas online, compared with 45.2% who will find their inspiration for the perfect gift in the store, 40.4% from friends and family, 36.2% from advertising circulars, and 35.4% on television.

Consumers will also take to their phones this holiday season buying gifts from apps. Google added Google Shopper 3.0 for Android to browse and research gifts on mobile devices.

Among smartphone or tablet owners, 68% have used their mobile device to make a purchase in the past, according to Qualcomm Snapdragon, which manufactures processors for more than 500 mobile devices. Findings from the holiday shopping survey conducted by Ipsos suggest about half of average smartphone or tablet owners said they would definitely or probably be motivated to walk into a store if they received on-the-spot coupons for a retailer on their mobile device.

Consumers are becoming more comfortable with the idea of mobile device apps as a form of payment. Some 58% of smartphone or tablet owners said they are comfortable making purchases on their mobile device. About 62% of consumers ages 18 to 34 are most likely to admit being comfortable making purchases on their mobile device, compared with 51% of those ages 35 to 50.

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