Google is read to take a swipe out of marketplace business with the addition of Shopify for inventory and order management and PayPal and Shopify for payment processing along with zero commission fees when customers buy your products through the Buy on Google checkout experience. Sadly it’s only rolling out in the US at the moment, but there will be international launches later this year and in 2021.
In another enhancement, if you’re an Amazon seller then you can now upload product feeds in the format you use for Amazon to your Merchant Center account and the feed will automatically mapped to work in Merchant Center.
Google have already made it free for retailers to list products on Google Shopping in the US and display these free listings to Google Search as well. With inventory management and payments, Buy on Google is starting to look more like a marketplace tacked on to the most popular search engine in the Western world.
Buy on Google aims to give shoppers a convenient way to purchase something right when they discover it without having to click through to an ecommerce site. With zero commission fees this is going to be hyper attractive for Shopify merchants – especially as many already use Shopify to manage their marketplace listings.
Amazon and eBay are of course still the two most popular marketplaces in the West and consumers who start their search on marketplaces aren’t likely to change their habits overnight. However there are is a huge number of sellers who start their shopping searches on Google and for retailers Buy on Google gives an easy and commission free way to sell to these shoppers directly from Google search.
If you are based in the US, you can check the the requirements for the pilot and sign up to join the waitlist.
3 Responses
So only Shopify users will be able to use Buy on Google. Or is it just a starting point?
It’s not really FREE unless Shopify are offering their services FREE. Almost every add on for Shopify comes at a price.
Sounds like a dressed up add on for Google Shopping to me.
Will this work if don’t have a website and only sell on marketplaces?