Google is making it easier to buy from small businesses


Google is introducing new Shopping features that allow merchants to quickly update product imagery using generative AI and make it easier to display important shop information to attract new customers.
Starting today, Google merchants in the US can label themselves with a new “small business” attribute that makes it easier for shoppers to identify mom-and-pop-style stores. Stores that carry this new attribute will be clearly labeled as a small business in Google Maps, and products sold by these merchants will feature a “small business” tag in Google Search.
These updates only apply to US-based retailers using Merchant Center or Business Profile, including the Google & YouTube shopping app on Shopify. Google said in its press release that the small business attribute will be automatically applied to some listings based on factors like the business’s web traffic, number of store locations, and how many products it offers. Retailers can remove these attributes via the Merchant Center or Business Profile settings.
Matt Madrigal, VP / GM of Merchant Shopping at Google, told The Verge that the “largest businesses” will not have the option to display the small business attribute and that the company is relying on businesses to self-identify. Madrigal adds that “only the merchant or someone authorized to manage their Merchant Center account or Business Profile on Google can enable the setting” but did not mention if there are protections to prevent the “small business” label from being abused by drop shippers or others that don’t fit the spirit of the term.
The knowledge panel in Search that displays details like where a retailer’s headquarters are located and how many people it employs is also being expanded to show additional shopping details. This includes reviews, shipping and returns policies, customer service information, and promoted deals (which feels like just another place to stuff product ads), alongside a snapshot of business information that merchants are already sharing on their Merchant Center accounts.
These updates are rolling out “this month” for merchants on desktop and mobile in the US, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, India, and Brazil. According to Madrigal, Google will only display deals within the knowledge panel for desktop users in the US “for now.”
Finally, Google is also releasing Product Studio — an AI-powered tool it teased back in May that allows Shopping merchants to make visual adjustments to product pictures, such as instantly removing backgrounds and increasing low-resolution images. Users can also generate new backgrounds using text-to-image prompts to personalize product images without a studio setup, allowing them to jazz up their listings for things like seasonal campaigns. Product Studio starts rolling out today to all Merchant Center Next users in the US. It’ll also be available via the Google & YouTube app on Shopify.
Google is introducing new Shopping features that allow merchants to quickly update product imagery using generative AI and make it easier to display important shop information to attract new customers. Starting today, Google merchants in the US can label themselves with a new “small business” attribute that makes it easier…
Recent Posts
- IBM return-to-office scheme is reportedly targeting older workers
- Fortnite’s new season has heists, pickles, and Cowboy Bebop
- The best microSD cards in 2025
- I tried this new online AI agent, and I can’t believe how good Convergence AI’s Proxy 1.0 is at completing multiple online tasks simultaneously
- I cannot describe how strange Elon Musk’s CPAC appearance was
Archives
- February 2025
- January 2025
- December 2024
- November 2024
- October 2024
- September 2024
- August 2024
- July 2024
- June 2024
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- September 2018
- October 2017
- December 2011
- August 2010