4 ways you can take advantage of Google’s expanded shopping tools this summer

June Wan/ZDNET
Google is riding a wave of recent upgrades and announcements. The company unveiled its AI-powered facelift to Google Search in May and leveled up changes to Gemini at Google I/O 2024. Now, Google is expanding its shopping features ahead of the summer.
With Amazon Prime Day inching closer, there’s no better time for Google to refresh its shopping tools. According to a Google and Ipsos survey, 44% of shoppers say they are more likely to shop on designated “deal days” than they usually would. In 2023, a similar survey revealed that 60% of Americans plan their purchases when shopping on retailers’ “deal days.”
Also: Amazon Prime Day 2024: Everything you need to know
Although summer isn’t typically reserved for deals en masse across retailers like during Black Friday or Cyber Monday, thanks to retailer savings events, the shopping landscape heats up in the summer, with shoppers searching for bargains, savings, and steals. In fact, over the past two years in the US, search interest for “deals” even surpassed “vacation” during the second week of July.
Google’s survey with Ipsos found that 51% of shoppers are finally looking to score products on sale during deal events, and 20% are motivated to shop early for the holiday season. So, what new features is Google serving up just in time for seasonal savings? New member pricing alerts and a deals carousel, to name a few.
Here’s how to leverage Google’s shopping tools this upcoming Amazon Prime Day and beyond.
1. Shop the deals carousel
You’ve long been able to shop for deals on Google. Now, you can search the upgraded deals carousel, which shows up when you search for “shop deals.” The carousel will showcase the most relevant, popular, and trending promotions and discounts in categories such as electronics, toys, apparel, and more from the past 24 hours across retailers.
According to Google, one-quarter of people regret buying something during 2023’s large retailer sales because they later found the product at a lower price. Google is looking to combat this feeling with its carousel. Now, when you shop for deals on Google, the carousel will direct you to the best deals of the hour and deals on categories you’re interested in, across all types of stores, from direct-to-consumer brands to small boutiques.
Plus, below the carousel, you’ll still see promotions and markdowns that are most relevant to you. You can compare prices across retailers, quickly access product reviews, check availability, and find delivery information. US shoppers can try out the deals destination today on mobile and desktop.
2. View member pricing
The latest Google and Ipsos survey found that 68% of online shoppers always or often compare prices before purchasing. Google is thus making it easier for US shoppers to see pricing across retailers, including members-only deal prices.
This new feature will display the special membership deals and offerings. You’ll see how much something costs regularly from retailers like Best Buy, plus the discounted cost for members of their loyalty programs. Now, you can easily decide if that membership is worth any extra savings.
3. Track prices to shop for the best deal
More than half of shoppers are drawn to summer sales to seek out savings on a product they’ve been eyeing for a while, according to the Google-Ipsos survey. Thankfully, it’s easy to track prices on Google.
US shoppers can now click the bell icon next to a product’s name to track its price. When that specific item’s price drops across the web, you’ll get an email or push notification alerting you, making for easy-breezy summer deal shopping.
4. See the high, low, and average price range for a product
Adding what you think is a great deal to your cart is easy, but how do you know if you’re getting a great deal? 73% of shoppers say they’d be more likely to purchase a product if they could see whether the product’s price is high, average, or low, and thus whether they are getting a great deal, according to Google and Ipsos.
US shoppers can access price ranges for thousands of items right in Google Search by clicking on a product. This will reveal historical prices for many retailers over the past 90 days, making it easier to tell if something really is a good deal right now.