Google has announced new features for its Shopping platform that aim to support small businesses and improve the overall shopping experience for users. These updates include the ability for merchants to update product imagery using generative AI and the introduction of a “small business” attribute to help shoppers identify and support local stores. Additionally, Google is expanding the knowledge panel in Search to provide more detailed information about retailers and their products, including reviews, shipping policies, and customer service information.
Starting from today, US-based retailers using Google’s Merchant Center or Business Profile can take advantage of the new features. Merchants can label themselves as a “small business” to make it easier for shoppers to identify them as local, independent stores. Google Maps will clearly label these businesses as small, and their products will be tagged as small business in Google Search. This attribute aims to promote small businesses and encourage users to support them over larger corporations.
Google has stated that the small business attribute will be automatically applied to some listings based on factors like web traffic, store locations, and the number of products offered. However, retailers have the option to remove the attribute through their Merchant Center or Business Profile settings.
Matt Madrigal, the VP/GM of Merchant Shopping at Google, clarified that the largest businesses will not have the option to display the small business attribute. The responsibility lies with the businesses to accurately self-identify. While it’s unclear if there are safeguards in place to prevent abuse of the attribute, only authorized individuals can enable the setting.
In addition to the small business attribute, Google is expanding the knowledge panel in Search to provide more shopping details. This includes displaying reviews, shipping and returns policies, customer service information, and promoted deals. The knowledge panel already showcases information about a retailer’s headquarters and employment numbers. With the expansion, users will have access to more comprehensive information about businesses, helping them make informed decisions.
These updates will be rolling out this month for merchants in the US, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, India, and Brazil. The knowledge panel will only display deals for desktop users in the US at the moment.
Furthermore, Google is introducing Product Studio, an AI-powered tool for Shopping merchants. This tool allows merchants to make visual adjustments to product pictures, such as removing backgrounds and enhancing low-resolution images. Users can also generate new backgrounds using text-to-image prompts, allowing them to personalize product images without the need for a studio setup. Product Studio is being rolled out to all Merchant Center Next users in the US, and it will also be available through the Google & YouTube app on Shopify.
These updates from Google aim to empower small businesses, enhance the shopping experience for users, and provide more transparency and information about retailers and their products. By labeling small businesses, displaying comprehensive shopping details, and providing visual enhancement tools, Google is striving to create a more inclusive and engaging shopping environment for both consumers and merchants.
