Google today officially launched its new shopping portal, Google Shopping.
This is a rebranded version of Google Express, albeit with a fresh look and new features.
The new take on the shopping experience is now available to all desktop and Android mobile users in the U.S.
Google Shopping finally official
Although just announced, Google Shopping has been in the works for some time. In fact, it first became clear Express was being rebranded as Shopping back in May.
Even more recently, the rebrand took functional affect. The Express Android app was replaced with the new Shopping Android app on the Play Store. Likewise, the Express website was also replaced with the new-look Shopping site. Both of those changes happened in early September. At around the same time, existing Express customers were made aware the change was coming via email.
Now, and just ahead of the company’s October 15 hardware event where the Google Pixel 4 will be unveiled, Google has opted to formally introduce the new service. Of course, that’s not the only reason the company has chosen now as the time to launch a new shopping space.
Google’s announcement repeatedly serves as a reminder that the holiday season is just around the corner.
Customized shopping and price alerts
Google also took a moment to detail some of Shopping’s main benefits. First off, the store is designed to offer a personalized experience. This means the homepage is filled with either items you might be interested in, or items you’ve ordered before – making it easy to order them again.
For those who are more keen on buying when the price is right, Google Shopping also includes a price alert setting. Users will see a “track price” toggle on product pages. When the toggle is activated Google will begin monitoring the price for you.
If and when the product becomes cheaper, a notification will show up on the device advising of the price drop. Google also states the option to receive notifications via email will go live “in the coming weeks.”
Similar to Google Express, Google Shopping is both a near and far service. Therefore, when time is limited users do have the option of filtering searches by location and the option to buy in store today.
The new Google Shopping experience can be accessed by heading to the website. Alternatively, the Android app is available to download for free from the Google Play Store.