Google is working on another improvement. Now, the company is trying to connect the online and offline worlds with a new feature in Google Now that alerts you if you walk near a product you’ve researched online.
Imagine this situation: you’ve been looking for the perfect shoes online, but haven’t gotten around to pulling the trigger. Now, if you’re near a store that carries those shoes, you might see a Google Now notification showing you the product and price to remind you that you wanted them. Now all you have to do is pop into the store and check if they’re in stock.
The feature comes on the same day Google announced it was expanding same-day delivery for Google Shopping Express. Like the Google Now tweak, that program benefits merchant partners rather than profiting Google directly. It’s not clear what kind of cut — if any — Google takes from Google Shopping Express. However, if Google could connect search activity with offline purchases (Google Wallet, anyone?), then the company will have solved a problem that haunts all online advertisers. Facebook is looking to do the same by partnering with data mining firms Datalogix, Acxiom and Epsilon to target ads to consumers based on their previous offline shopping behavior. Will Google do the same thing?