According to Digital Trends, Google just announced a major AI shopping push with features rolling out immediately in the US. The company’s Search AI Mode now offers conversational shopping with price details, reviews, and comparison tables. The Gemini app gets shoppable product listings and cross-web pricing. There’s a “Let Google Call” feature that contacts stores on your behalf for availability checks. Most significantly, agentic checkout lets users complete purchases directly in Search using Google Pay, with early merchant support from Wayfair, Chewy, Quince, and select Shopify stores. All these features are live now, just in time for Black Friday and holiday shopping.
The Convenience vs Control Trade-off
This is a massive move toward making Google the starting and ending point for shopping. And honestly, it’s pretty convenient sounding. Who wouldn’t want to skip the endless tab-hopping between Amazon, Target, and random specialty stores? But here’s the thing – we’re trading convenience for something else entirely: control over our shopping journey.
When Google becomes both the discovery engine and the checkout lane, they’re essentially building a walled garden around commerce. Sure, they’re showing prices from across the web… for now. But what happens when they decide to prioritize merchants who pay for placement? Or when the “best” deals just happen to be from Google’s preferred partners?
The Privacy Question Nobody’s Asking
Let’s talk about the “Let Google Call” feature. Google will contact stores on your behalf? That means they’re essentially acting as your shopping agent. Which sounds great until you realize they’re building an even more detailed profile of your purchasing intent, preferences, and even your location data.
Think about it – they’ll know not just what you searched for, but what you actually called about, which stores you were interested in, and whether you followed through. That’s incredibly valuable data that goes way beyond simple search queries. And we’re just handing it over for the convenience of not making a phone call ourselves?
Google’s Commerce History Isn’t Exactly Stellar
Remember Google Shopping Express? Google Compare? Google Wallet’s various iterations? The company has a pretty spotty track record when it comes to commerce initiatives. They tend to launch with fanfare, then quietly sunset services when they don’t immediately dominate the market.
This time feels different though – the AI angle gives them a legitimate edge. But I’m skeptical about how many merchants will fully embrace letting Google handle their entire checkout experience. For smaller businesses especially, losing that direct customer relationship could be a tough pill to swallow.
What This Actually Changes
Basically, Google is betting that people care more about convenience than brand loyalty when shopping. They might be right. The ability to go from “I need a new coffee maker” to having one purchased in three conversational steps is compelling. Especially during the holiday madness when time is precious.
But this also represents a fundamental shift in how we interact with the web. Search is no longer just about finding information – it’s becoming the platform where transactions happen. And when you consider this alongside their broader AI ambitions, it starts to look like Google wants to be the interface for… well, everything.
The real question is whether consumers will trust Google enough to handle their actual purchases, not just help find products. And whether the convenience is worth the data we’re handing over in return. For now, it’s definitely worth trying out – just keep your eyes open about what you’re really trading for that time savings.
