• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, May 14, 2019

Google on Tuesday at Marketing Live unveiled a redesigned shopping destination. Google Shopping will now provide consumers with a way to discover and compare millions of products from thousands of stores in one location, then check out instantly with their Google account.

For retailers and brands, it combines ads, local and transactions in one place.

For consumers, a universal shopping cart in Google Shopping will enable them to purchase millions of products from thousands of merchants across Google Search, Images, and now google.com/shopping.

YouTube will join the rest of the Google properties later this year.

Shoppers will have a personalized home page on the Shopping tab where they can filter products based on features they want most from specific brands. They also can read reviews and watch videos, such as how-tos, about the products.

Google, the search engine that people use to browse and explore products, also becomes the intermediary, supporting the consumer when items are late, when customers don’t get what they ordered, or when they need a refund.

The blue shopping cart on the item shows shoppers how to purchase what they want with simple returns and customer support, backed by a Google guarantee.

The experience merges Google Express with Google Shopping. The news confirms earlier speculation that Google would launch a shoppable ad tied to the delivery service Google Express to compete with Amazon. 

Google also introduced Shopping campaigns with partners, allowing brands to use their own budgets to promote priority products in retailers’ Shopping campaigns. This aims to drive more visibility, traffic and sales for both the brands and their retail partners.