Google is rolling out major AI shopping features including conversational search, agentic checkout, and an AI that calls stores for you. This episode, sponsored by the A&M Consumer and Retail Group, Mirakl, Ocampo Capital, Infios, and Quorso, sparks a fascinating debate about the future of shopping search.

Anne argues Google's comprehensive data ecosystem... from Gmail to Maps to Calendar, gives it an edge over ChatGPT and Perplexity. She believes Google could leapfrog competitors by leveraging existing consumer relationships. Chris pushes back, citing Google Shopping's historical struggles and questioning whether Google's legacy interface might actually hinder innovation.

For the full episode head here

#GoogleAI #AIshopping #conversationalsearch #agenticAI #ChatGPT #Gemini #retailtech #ecommerce #shoppinginnovation #AIretail #GoogleSearch

Google is augmenting AI shopping with conversational search, agentic checkout, and an AI that will call stores for you.

Oh my gosh.

According to TechCrunch, one of the updates will allow consumers to ask shopping questions in AI mode, Google's conversational search feature that lets you use natural language queries in a chatbot style interface.

The responses will be tailored to your question and the chatbot will provide images when you need visual inspiration alongside other details like price reviews and available inventory.

Notably.

And Google is also rolling out a Gentic checkout within Google Search in the US including in AI mode.

The feature is currently compatible with merchants like Wayfair, Chewy and Select Shopify stores.

And finally, another AI feature that I'm sure all of you have been waiting for is that the AI will also call businesses on your behalf to find out if a store carries a product, how much it costs, and whether there are any promotions.

The feature is rolling out in the US for specific categories like toys, health and beauty products, and electronics.

And to use the feature, you can search for products near me and then use the option let Google call.

Oh my God.

And I'm, I have no doubt you are buying these new features versus selling them because you are the biggest Google fan that I know.

I mean, you talk about it all the time on this show.

So instead of asking you that question, I'm going to put you on the spot this week because this is.

Okay, put you on the spot question.

Here it is.

As Google AI expands its capabilities into conversational shopping, agentic checkout, and even calling stores for the customer, how does this reshape the role of traditional human led E commerce models for consumers?

And how should retailers rethink their platform strategies accordingly?

Whoa.

Well, I don't know that they have to rethink their platform strategies.

I feel for retailers because they still on top of Google, which they have to make sure that they're, they're set up to support that search.

It's still where the majority of people are going.

They now have to also figure out how they're going to appear on these other large language search platforms as well, and how they're going to facilitate buying through these platforms.

So I think retailers need to, need to pause and look at this the same way that when E commerce came online they started approaching their strategy.

It requires a complete, it requires new teams, it requires new thinking.

We just talked last week about having a chief AI officer or, or you know, how you're going to have one, right?

Or not having one and integrating that into all of the positions within your organization.

So I think, I think it really is time for retailers to think about that total shopping journey and how that's going to shift.

But Google is still a go to destination that has the best cumulative information about who we are as people inside and outside of our shopping.

They still have data about us from our emails, from our maps, from our calendars, from all these other places.

And so I think that actually Google is just, has just kind of surpassed some of the other search platforms because they still, if, if anyone's going to be that really true personal assistant for us.

I think that these new tactics that Google is adding to their platform are just going to further continue people using Google the same way that they're using Google for just regular search today.

People are familiar with Google again.

They're, they're already interacting with it in so many places in their lives that I actually think that we could see Google take a pretty big leap here over OpenAI's chatgpt at with the addition of some of these things.

I will say the calling feature, however, that's one that I'm not, I'm not buying.

If you've ever worked in a retail store, you barely get to the people searching for products who are human beings calling from other stores to see if you have a product in stock.

So I don't think that they're going to get the participation from the retailers that, that they're pitching in this.

But, but everything else, the large language search, being able to have and buy things directly in your search results, that kind of stuff to me I think is really going to continue to solidify Google as a player in this space in direct competition with Perplexity and OpenAI.

But Chris, you're the Google skeptic sometimes so I'm prepared for a good rebuttal from you on this one.

What are your thoughts?

Are you okay?

Because I am, I am actually going to rebut you.

You know there's always a but and you know, you know and make go a little bit long here too.

But.

Because there was a lot to read in that, in that headline.

You know the, the point that you had, you made two points.

One of which was like, you know, Google and its position in this landscape.

And then two was the call feature which I got to talk about the call feature too.

Like, but the Google and the landscape.

I don't know if I agree with you because for two reasons.

History and where our minds already understand Google to be so history.

Google shopping tried to get off the ground for a long time and it never did.

So there is some evidence to say that Google, can they figure this out?

I don't know.

The second part of this is our mind is anchored as consumers on the Google experience that we know today, which I think can be a hindrance in terms of trying to design the interface of the future for how agentic AI should work.

So that's why I give the other platforms more of a leg up on that because they're not encumbered by their current business model and trying to figure out that and how to meld those experiences together.

And so that's why I'm not sure that I buy into them having the upper hand on this.

But I honestly don't know.

But that's just my inclination, you know, from studying the things that we've studied for the past, you know, 25 plus years in retail.

Now the call feature, I think the call feature's absolutely ridiculous.

I mean, I hated taking calls in the store like, and most of the time like you couldn't find the product, but that didn't mean it wasn't in your store.

You have no idea.

And the thing I don't like about it too, because it feels like it's a marketing hook, is it goes against, it's antithetical to everything good omnichannel retailing is about and what Google should be trying to do with agentic shopping because it should be about your data serving this up without you needing to even take that step.

So like, that's the part I don't understand.

So I think it's a feature that is kind of silly and it's not going to be useful and it's going to sunset over time anyway.

But you get the last word here.

What do you think?

Yeah, I mean, I would say especially with this last rollout of Gemini that they just put out.

I don't know if you saw this, but a group of reporters asked Chat GPT which is the better, most more effective search platform and ChatGPT actually said Gemini is better.

So it's, it's interesting.

I think that yes, there, there is a way that we as humans know and have used Google for a lot of years.

But, but I do think that there's still an opportunity when it comes to the convenience that can be offered with Google for us to start to see some, some shopping behaviors and patterns change in the same way that, you know, we're seeing some of those patterns change now as we're starting to search for, for products in new ways using using Chat GPT or using Perplexity or others.

So I have more hope for it.

But I 100% agree.

The call feature, that part put to bed.

Maybe they were trying to work it as like they have more connections with local businesses and they're trying to be a more of a proponent of shopping locally and showing you what's nearest to you because they know your location.

But I, I just, I don't, I don't know that the mom and pop still on Main street and the independent boutiques are going to be like, yes, let me talk to this Google, this Google chat bot right now.

And, and take away from my, my limited time on the floor with customers.

Yeah, so, so that Google, I think that's going to be a fail fast.

Let's, let's put that one to bed.