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A New Era of Online Shopping: Google Brings AI to the Fitting Room and the Checkout Counter
Google is taking a massive leap in reshaping the online shopping experience with its latest AI-powered tools, announced during its annual I/O developers conference. Designed to personalize and simplify the way people shop, Googleās new features let users try on clothes virtually, track prices automatically, and even complete purchases with minimal effort. As the battle for AI leadership intensifies, this move positions Google not just as a search engine giant, but also as a serious contender in retail tech.
š Google’s AI Shopping Upgrade
At the heart of the announcement is a virtual try-on feature that allows users to upload full-length photos of themselves and visualize how clothing items ā like pants, skirts, dresses, and shirts ā would look on their own bodies. Unlike traditional e-commerce models that rely on generic mannequins or limited sizing, this AI model understands how different fabrics stretch, fold, and drape across a range of human body types. The feature is now available in Search Labs for U.S. users.
Alongside virtual try-ons, Google is upgrading Gemini-powered AI Mode, giving it the ability to conduct multi-threaded, intelligent searches. This means users can now specify multiple criteria (like brand, color, material, or fit) in one request, and the system will fan out those queries simultaneously to provide a more personalized and visually-rich panel of product listings.
For bargain hunters, the new price tracking feature adds serious value. Once a user selects specific products and sets a price threshold, Google will automatically notify them when that item drops in price. No more bookmarking or checking back daily ā the AI will do the work for you.
But perhaps the boldest addition is agentic checkout. With this feature, users can simply hit a ābuy for meā button and allow Google to complete the purchase on their behalf, using Google Pay for a secure transaction directly on the merchantās site.
All these tools are powered by Googleās Shopping Graph, a massive database comprising over 50 billion product listings, refreshed continuously (2 billion updates per hour), ensuring real-time accuracy in pricing and stock availability. These AI features are expected to roll out across the U.S. in the coming months.
š§ What Undercode Say:
Googleās AI shopping rollout isnāt just a shiny feature dropāitās a calculated strategic shift, blending personalization, automation, and trust-building into one seamless retail ecosystem.
The virtual try-on is arguably the most consumer-facing innovation here. This feature directly addresses the long-standing friction in online fashion: the inability to truly know if an item fits or flatters until it arrives. By leveraging deep learning and realistic garment simulation, Google is doing what even Amazon has struggled to do at scale. This has the potential to reduce return rates, boost user confidence, and redefine online apparel sales.
The multi-search capability of Gemini-powered AI Mode signals
Googleās price tracking and agentic checkout features tackle the operational pain points of e-commerce. The “set and forget” approach makes shopping more passive and predictiveāthe algorithm watches prices while you go about your life, and when the timeās right, even completes the purchase for you. Thatās a huge UX win, particularly for mobile-first users.
Whatās perhaps more disruptive is that these features bypass traditional retail apps altogether. If Google can provide product discovery, personalized visualization, competitive pricing, and frictionless checkout all within its search engine, thereās far less reason to use individual retailer apps. This poses a potential existential challenge to e-commerce platforms like Shopify, Amazon, and even Instagram Shops.
Lastly, the Shopping Graphās sheer scaleā50 billion listingsāis Googleās quiet power play. It gives Google a dynamic, real-time inventory advantage that even Amazon struggles to match in terms of diversity and third-party integration. This enables a search experience thatās not only relevant but current to the minute, closing the latency gap between consumer interest and product availability.
š Fact Checker Results:
ā
The virtual try-on feature is indeed live in Search Labs (U.S.-only)
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Googleās Shopping Graph updates 2 billion listings per hour
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“Buy for me” checkout uses secure Google Pay protocols on partner sites
š Prediction:
As these features roll out more broadly, expect Google to rapidly eat into market share held by traditional e-commerce platforms, especially among Gen Z and millennial consumers who prioritize convenience, personalization, and visual feedback. Over the next 18 months, retailers not integrated into Google’s Shopping Graph may see a significant drop in organic traffic and visibility, forcing them to adopt Google’s AI ecosystem or risk obsolescence.
References:
Reported By: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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