Google Nearby Stock Information
As the Wall Street Journal tells us, for two years, Milo has tried to Put Store Stock Online. That’s not the dog, but the company, Milo.com, named after him.
When you’re on the go, it is a whole lot easier if the Internet can tell you whether the stuff you are looking for is available at stores nearby. Milo.com, in Palo Alto, CA., has been setting up a database for two years that knows what products are in stores near you and whether they’re in stock.
It’s an obvious need so it’s not surprising that the universal provider of all information has now decided to tackle this tough problem.
Google launched its service with inventory data from just five retail outlets — Best Buy, Sears, Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, and West Elm (the last three of which are all owned by Williams-Sonoma). They’ll undoubtedly expand that list, and are taking volunteers from businesses that want to join in the program.
Milo has signed up 49 retail chains, covering 48,000 stores and 2 million products. Beyond brands like Best Buy and Sears, which have open systems that let any outside programmers tap into their inventory database, they’ve managed to sign up some big names, including Target, Nordstrom, Macy’s and J.C. Penny.
As Google explains, all you need to do is look for the blue dots.
If you’re searching for a product that is sold by participating retailers, you can just look for the blue dots in the search results to see if it’s available in a local store. If you see a blue dot, you can tap on the adjacent “In stock nearby” link, and you’ll be taken to the seller’s page where you’ll see whether the item is “In Stock” or has “Limited Availability” near you. You’ll also see how far away the stores are from you — as long as you’ve enabled My Location or manually specified your location.
It works with any iPhone, Palm WebOS phone, or any Android-powered device in the US. Search with Google.com in your mobile browser, tap on the “more” link, and then select “Shopping.” Or you can check the “Shopping results” section in Universal Search results when you search on Google.com.
Google is now looking for retailers who would like to participate in the program. Provided your Local Business Center data is up to date, and your Product Search data is in great shape, then you can ask to be considered.
The real question is whether Google can provide good information like this when data quality really is not easily scaleable. Perhaps it’s better handled by a vertical portal like Milo.com. After all even Google must focus its efforts if it is to do a good job for all its stakeholders.
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BPWrap
March 23rd, 2010 at 7:39 am
Soon it will not be required anymore to distinguish between mobile and desktop web. People will use the internet with their devices like smartphones, tablets (iPad) and so on and they won’t question whether it is the mobile web. They just use it!