Let’s face it, holiday shopping has always felt like more of a part-time job.
More often than not, you find yourself juggling tabs, comparing prices, and checking through stock, while trying to guess which store has the stuff you need.
Among other things, Google seems to know this, and it just rolled out a quiet update aimed at that exact pain point.
It’s a subtle shift in how Search works, effectively making the hunt for gifts, deals, and last-minute essentials a lot less painful.
The powerful new AI-powered update will most likely chip away at the friction that slows everyone down around the holiday season.
Google makes huge AI shopping update to fix parts of shopping people hate
Before we even get to the checkout button, perhaps the lion’s share of the pain from shopping usually comes from the steps in between.
That includes everything from searching, comparing, and filtering, to the guessing game that typically follows. Google’s latest update tries to efficiently erase that chaos, as it smooths out what happens before you make a purchase.
Now, just as the holiday rush kicks in, Google has rolled out a major AI shopping update across Search’s AI Mode and the Gemini app in the U.S.
Google’s latest AI tools help shoppers track prices and confirm local store availability in real time.
TheStreet
New Google shopping features explained
Following the Google AI update, users can enjoy these new features:
- Conversational shopping in AI Mode
Instead of typing out “mens sweater grey XL under $70” and working through a ton of filters, you can simply describe what you want out loud:“Cozy men’s sweater I could wear on weekdays, under 70 bucks.”
Search then follows up with ideas, allowing you to tweak with simplistic questions, while pulling from nearly 50 billion product listings in Google’s Shopping Graph.
- Agentic checkout with a “buy for me” button
Select merchants can now tell Google the exact product, the size, and the color, along with its maximum price.
Google tracks it, providing you with alerts once prices drop, and if it’s pre-approved, it completes the purchase via Google Pay on the merchant’s site. Early partners include Wayfair, Chewy, Quince, and select Shopify stores.
- “Let Google Call” for local store checks
Once you search for something such as “Xbox near me,” a new “Let Google Call” button appears. Tap it, and Google’s robust new Duplex and Gemini combo will call nearby stores, inquiring about stock, prices, and promos, then subsequently send you a summary via text or email.
Stores can opt out of this feature, but if they decide against it, Google will step in as the middleman between you and the retailer.
Why the AI shopping update matters for Google’s money machine
If Google is able to pull off the new AI-enabled features at scale, it could represent its most meaningful pivot in years.
AI Mode and agentic checkout give Google something on which advertisers have been willing to deliver, but weren’t able to: richer intent and full-funnel visibility.
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Queries posed to Google following the new update will tell the system exactly who you are, what you need, and what might actually convert to a sale.
Then the system will recommend the product and process, and suddenly Google will literally have the receipts to prove an advertisement worked.
Google would then be able to justify the higher CPCs within those AI answers, while fine-tuning its 50-billion-product Shopping Graph, along with cleaner feedback.
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The move also explains the competitive timing.
For perspective, OpenAI has also launched its agentic shopping flow within ChatGPT, and Amazon remains dominant in terms of product searches, even with its potent AI helpers living inside a walled garden.
Retailers need to pay close attention, though, as partners like Wayfair and Chewy would get much smoother checkouts. However, with Google controlling the end-to-end process, brands would potentially become interchangeable pipes behind a powerful shopping assistant.