How Google is evolving the ‘window shopping’ experience

Retail Gets Real episode 248: All commerce is becoming digital — even when it happens in store

Google recently released its Top 100 Trending Gifts of 2021, providing a sneak peek at products predicted to rise in popularity and trend the most on Google this holiday. The list helps shoppers get inspired by what’s trending and helps inform retailers of which products are expected to fly off the shelves this holiday season, said Bill Ready, president of commerce at Google. He joined the Retail Gets Real podcast to share more about trending holiday searches and how digital and physical experiences are continuing to blend.

NRF holiday headquarters

Explore more about holiday shopping this year and how consumer trends are evolving.

Ready says Google’s most-searched categories are in consumer electronics, apparel and footwear; trending among those searches is coffee equipment, fitness gear, fragrances and colognes. To ensure consumers get the items they want ahead of the season, Ready said 64 percent of consumers are shopping early in case items run out of stock and are searching online for retailers that carry similar products before heading to stores.

“Shoppers are operating in a more blended world as the boundaries between physical and digital shopping start to fall away,” Ready said. “For example, 68 percent of shoppers say they’ll consolidate shopping to make fewer trips to stores.”

Tune into the latest episode of Retail Gets Real to hear more about popular items for the holiday season, how shopping behaviors are changing among supply chain concerns and how Google is making it easier to browse, even when you don’t know what you’re looking for.

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