Google Lens Update Aims to Confirm Good Deals When You're Shopping in Store

With holiday shopping on everyone’s minds, Google is hoping to be even more involved in your buying decisions this gifting season — and not just when you’re shopping online. The company announced fresh updates to Google Lens and Google Pay on Monday designed to make its tools useful even when you’re shopping in store.

With a single snap, Google Lens will now be able to provide you with insights relevant to the store you’re currently in, including whether there are similar products in stock, whether the store is offering the product at a competitive price and customer reviews. In addition, Google is expanding virtual card and buy now, pay later options.

These updates come hot on the heels of Google announcing last month that its AI tool Gemini could help show you more relevant products and deals, providing you with a personalized shopping page. This update was focused on its online Google Shopping portal, whereas this week’s new Google Lens feature has been designed to assist you when shopping in real life, which can sometimes be an overwhelming experience.

In Google’s recent shopping survey, undertaken with Ipsos, the company discovered that 72% of Americans used their smartphones in store to help them make buying decisions, while over half had left empty-handed as they weren’t sure they were getting a good deal. “This new feature can give shoppers the information and confidence they need to make a decision on the spot,” said Lilian Rincon, Google’s VP of Consumer Shopping Product in a blog post.