Google is helping consumers take the guesswork out of planning their holiday shopping. The company said every holiday season, shoppers “face the same dilemma: buy early, during Black Friday or risk waiting for deeper December markdowns?” Google also launched a new search and product discovery tool called “Universal Cart.”
To help consumers figure out when to find the best deals, Google has published a “When to Buy Guide.” Using its rich cache of data, Google researchers created a report that analyzes historical promotional patterns and search trends, as well as discount data across U.S. retailers and brands to help shoppers make more confident purchasing decisions.
The suggestions are specific. With fragrances, for example, the report suggests shopping within the first two weeks after Black Friday for the best deals as well as inventory selection. The report’s authors also said consumers need to reconsider the Black Friday handbag frenzy. “For the perfect handbag at the best price, target mid-Dec to balance the best discount and selection,” the report’s authors said. “Target mid-December to balance a high discount with a decent selection of styles, or wait until late December if you just want the lowest price on remaining inventory.
For travel gear, the best deals are in November, while suitcases see the steepest markdowns in late December. For tech toys, Google said it is better to wait as categories like motorized tech toys “show their steepest markdowns in the final weeks of December.”
Google said in a statement that it is building the future of commerce across two fronts. The first is “unlocking agentic capabilities” that act on a shopper’s behalf. The second front is designing more practical tools that give consumers confidence and control. The company said for the second front, its “Universal Cart” has officially launched Oct. 15. “It lets people save products from multiple retailers, keep tabs on pricing and inventory changes, identify hidden savings and make seamless purchases when they’re ready to buy,” the company said.
The Universal Cart was previewed earlier this year, and Google describes it as “an intelligent shopping cart and your new hub for shopping on Google.” The company said the cart helps consumers organize their shopping while keeping track of favorite items.
Aside from saving products from multiple retailers, Google said the Universal Cart offers a more organized alternative to tabs and screenshots. “The cart saves your progress across Google so you never have to start your shopping from scratch,” the company said. “Let’s say you save a handbag from Steve Madden to your cart in AI Mode in Search, and later a sweater from Quince and lip gloss from Ulta Beauty in the Gemini app. Those products will be there in your cart when you come back later so you can pick up right where you left off.”