Google Holiday Shopping

Holiday periods are always exciting, but the shopping rush during these times can get really crazy. While I am not big on holiday shopping, I try to get gifts way before the craze starts. Otherwise, I’m going to end up with inadequate gifts – or none at all! For those who need all the help they can to get through holiday shopping, Google has come up with some pretty nifty solutions.

Google Shopping Updates

Google Shopping is merely a rebranding of Google Product Search (which used to be Google Product, which used to be Froogle), and with that name change comes other tweaks as well.

Reviews

Google Shopping Reviews

Reviews are crucial in making decisions as to which brands or models to go for. With all the choices available, being able to read trustworthy reviews is very, very helpful. Google Shopping goes one step further to ensure the trustworthiness of its product reviews by showing you reviews from your connections. The premise: The better you know people, the more you trust what they recommend (or not recommend).

It goes both ways, of course, and you can post your own reviews.

Shortlists

Got so many items to consider? Google’s shortlists feature will help you keep track of the items you are considering buying. Information available includes prices, specs, and photos. Additionally, you can share your shortlists with others, which can be useful if you’re chipping in for gifts, for example.

Google Interior Maps

Google Maps Interior Locations

Google Maps has saved so many butts so many times, and with the interior maps, going to the mall physically might just be easier. No more roaming around for hours trying to find specific stores. There are, of course buildings which will not be included in this feature yet, but there are more than 10,000 floor plans currently available. Both Android (they had it first) and iOS users have access to this useful feature.

[Images via Peter Garnhum, Google Commerce, and Digital Trends]