Dive Brief:
- Google Lens will now offer in-person shoppers search results tailored to the store they’re in, the company announced Tuesday.
- Lens users can take a picture of an item and find product information, reviews, information on how the price compares to competitors, and a list of similar items that are in-stock at that store.
- The in-store Lens search is currently available for beauty products, toys and electronics, and Google plans to expand to other categories in the future, according to Lilian Rincon, VP of product management at Google.
Dive Insight:
The updated Lens search function aims to make it easier for customers to access the best aspects of in-store and online shopping at the same time.
Just over 7 in 10 Americans use their smartphone while browsing stores, according to a survey of about 1,000 consumers by Google and Ipsos conducted in September.
“We all know that there's nothing like the magic of shopping in-store, especially during the holidays, but at the same time, many people have come to rely on reading reviews,” Rincon told sister publication Customer Experience Dive.
Rincon provided the example of a customer looking at a Play Doh set in-store as a potential gift for their child. The shopper can take a picture of the box with Lens and instantly see reviews and price comparisons, then scroll down to see related items.
The module focuses on enhancing the brick-and-mortar browsing experience, according to Rincon. This means it will only show information on products that are currently available in-store — items that are only available through a retailer’s e-commerce site are excluded.
While the update is powered by Google’s Gemini generative AI model, Len’s in-store features don’t play up the fact that they use AI. The goal is to offer an improved experience while simply letting shoppers browse without changing the way they already use their phones.
“It's really about how do we incorporate AI in the everyday workflow to make it a much more useful, helpful tool for consumers?” Rincon said.
The Lens update is available for all Google app users who have opted into sharing their location data and works at all retailers that have shared their inventory data with Google.
