In a nutshell: Just in time for the holiday season, Google is introducing new ways to highlight deals when you search for products, helping users save money when they make purchases online. These enhancements include deal information when you search, price tracking, and deal alerts on the Chrome browser.
Google is kicking off the holiday season with improved shopping tools designed to enhance users’ experience when looking for deals. The search giant says that 8 out of 10 holiday shoppers are looking for deals on gifts, and more than half of them compare prices online to ensure they find the best deal.
While Google says they already provide a “comprehensive data set” of shopping information via the Shopping Graph, the company is introducing new features in the Chrome browser and Google Search to help customers keep track of prices. Search is adding a “new deals destination” that showcases on-sale products available on the web on a single page.
Users can access the new page by searching “shop deals” which features promotions and discounts in “top holiday” product categories, which include apparel, electronics, toys, and beauty. These deals come from a variety of sellers, ranging from big-box stores to designer labels and local retailers. Users who are signed into their Google accounts will receive tailored deals based on their previous shopping activity.
A new feature in Chrome lets users proactively search for discounts and discount codes on recently viewed products. By accessing the “Resume browsing” card, Chrome users can check if an active promotion for a product they’re interested in is currently available. Additionally, there’s a new “discount tag” icon in the browser’s address bar that lists available coupon codes.
The Chrome URL bar will also include a “shopping insights” label on sites where Google collects data for its price insights feature. Clicking on the label will allow users to access a Chrome side panel displaying a product’s typical price range and a price history graph for the last 90 days.
Google is also adding “price drop alerts,” accessible from both Search and Chrome. A new bell icon displayed next to a product name will enable email and push notifications if the price drops. Chrome’s desktop version also includes a new “Shopping list” folder to easily bookmark products, which will provide price tracking updates when they become available.
