Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Local inventory ads expand to more countries and formats

More and more people turn to search to plan their local shopping trips. In fact, 83% of shoppers would be more likely to visit a store if they could check the availability of an item online beforehand.1 Since we launched local inventory ads in the US last fall, many savvy retailers have taken advantage of the opportunity to promote their store items to nearby shoppers on Google.2 Now, we’re excited to make these ads available in the UK, France, Germany, Japan and Australia.


Promote store-only products on desktop
We have also expanded support for store-only products and campaigns to desktop devices, enabling retailers to promote stores to the right customers at the right time. For example, you can prioritize showing local products to get shoppers in your doors during the weeks and days leading up to the holidays. As items go out of stock online and last-minute shipping costs increase, retailers who can provide cost-effective, quick in-store purchase options stand out in the crowd.


Get started with local inventory ads
Local inventory ads help retailers drive foot traffic and sales by showing local product availability, price and store information to shoppers in the area. If you’re a retailer with physical stores and are interested in getting started with local inventory ads, visit the program overview and fill out the interest form.

Posted by Christina Ilvento, Product Manager, Google Shopping

1 Research background: Google/Ipsos MediaCT/Sterling Brands, Digital Impact on In-Store Shopping, March-May 2014. Survey conducted among 6,000 smartphone users aged 18-54 who have influence in the purchase decision making process of Retail, CPG or Tech products and have used the Internet to look for shopping-related information.
2 Local inventory ads were formerly called Local Product Listing Ads.