Shopping updates from Google launch just in time for holidays

Google unveiled a series of innovative shopping features last week that could significantly influence marketers’ strategies for holiday promotions, aligning them with emerging shopping trends as we approach the peak buying season.

One of the key releases is Google’s inaugural “When to Buy” guide, which provides insights on the optimal times to find the best deals across various product categories, drawing from projected shopping behaviors for 2025.

This comprehensive 6-page overview provides detailed advice on when consumers should begin shopping to secure the best deals, offering valuable insights for marketers aiming to understand peak competition periods and attract a larger customer base.

The guide also highlights essential shopping trends that marketers should consider when planning their promotional activities.

Google announced that the Universal Cart feature is now accessible to all users in the U.S.

This feature, first introduced at the I/O event in May, allows users to add products to their shopping carts across various Google services. Items added to the cart remain available for later retrieval, facilitating a seamless shopping experience.

As Google elaborated: “For instance, if you save a handbag from Steve Madden in AI Mode while using Google Search, and then later add a sweater from Quince and lip gloss from Ulta Beauty via the Gemini app, those items will still be in your cart when you return, allowing you to continue shopping without interruption.”

This system will also notify users of price reductions on items they’ve saved, alert them when products are restocked, and suggest the best payment options for their purchases, along with relevant promo codes and offers.

Google mentioned that users can securely complete transactions using Google Pay with just a few taps at many of their favorite retailers directly from the cart, or they can transfer items to the merchant’s cart to finalize their purchases on the retailer’s website.

The Universal Cart currently supports streamlined checkout experiences with popular retailers such as Nike, Sephora, Target, Ulta Beauty, Walmart, and Wayfair, as well as numerous Shopify merchants.