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Google Base Retail Rumours Confirmed
kaufmanmoore writes "According to an MSNBC report, the head of Google's European arm has said that Google wants to use Google Base for brick and mortar stores to submit lists of goods and prices in order to create an online presence." From the article: "Google would index and package the information into a consumer-friendly search engine, giving its users a virtual supermarket across a number of retail brands. Mr Arora said: 'Google Base is going to have a huge impact on retailers," adding that the move reflected internal research, which found many leading European retailers did not feel they were competitive enough online.'
I think it is very similar to Froogle. But I am sure someone in Google has noticed that fact also.
What I think is interesting is how Google payments works with Google base and not Froogle.
I think when retailers go for Google base, there will be a pre-built e-commerce rig waiting to go.
Froogle will be for the rest of us punters.
-- I doubt, therefore I might be.
How often does someone go looking for a doorknob, a picture frame, and a KVM all at once?
Have you not noticed the recent Wal*Mart ad campaign? "I went in for chips and salsa, and walked out with this great deck furniture." Or "I went in for hemorhoids cream, and walked out with a new car." That kind of thing.
The point is, when someone's in the mood to browse and spend, the more products you can put in front of them, the more they'll buy. "Stack 'em high and watch 'em buy" is a retail maxim. Why do you think Fry's Electronics (for those unfortunate enough to have one near them) load up their check out lanes with all kinds of random junk? This is just more of the same, present as many products as possible, and people will inevitably buy them. It's just how our culture is.
God invented whiskey so the Irish would not rule the world.