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Google Base Retail Rumours Confirmed

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the all-their-base-etc-etc dept.

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.'

5 of 87 comments (clear)

  1. Froogle anyone? by myspys · · Score: 2, Interesting

    But.. isn't this exactly what Froogle is?

  2. Well.. by ackthpt · · Score: 3, Interesting
    After attending SDWest yesterday and listening to Jeff Barr from Amazon Web Services, I expect Google has to be doing something. I don't mean to evangelize Amazon, but to shed some light on what they have been doing, which was brought to light on the 14th, regarding this online storage. They have web services, which you can program and wot and build your own online businesses with, which for a small brick and mortar, could be quite a bonus (Amazon have worked with small booksellers and wot for years, now anyone can.)

    Check it out, at least, at aws.typepad.com

    --

    A feeling of having made the same mistake before: Deja Foobar
  3. Still leaves a lot to be desired. by Shivetya · · Score: 5, Interesting

    So they will index deals submitted by stores.

    Who is going to collect the funds?

    Who is going to deal with the fraud?

    Who is going to be responsible for the accuracy of the information presented?

    Will google police stores that advertise one price but sell at another (or just bury more profit in S&H?)

    Sounds like a high tech flea market. Without any guarantees this could devolve quickly into a disaster. Is Google prepared to vouch for the information, if not how will they convince people to use a service they won't stand behind?

    --
    * Winners compare their achievements to their goals, losers compare theirs to that of others.
  4. I'm wondering the same thing by blueZ3 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    When I'm searching for something online, I'm usually looking for a single item or a set of related items. This usually makes Froogle a good starting point; I search for arcade pushbuttons, and I get links to stores that sell them along with other arcade console items. Poking around a few sites usually leads to one with good prices on the things I want, and I make a purchase.

    Really, I don't see the benefit of aggregating content across stores. How often does someone go looking for a doorknob, a picture frame, and a KVM all at once? Online shopping is fundamentally different than shopping at a physical store, but it's not that different: I want to find a competent supplier of each thing, not a one-stop-shop where I have to wonder about the quality of service and related issues. And if they're just showing me info from three different places in a single search, but I am actually making three orders, what's the advantage?

    Color me unimpressed

    --
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  5. I can personally confirm this... by Zelph · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I was invited to use Google Base using the Google Payment Corp. Google has a payment service that people can pay me with, and it is better than PayPal.