Google's Universal Cart Shopping Tool Launches in the US

Google has launched its Universal Cart tool in the United States, enabling users to gather and track products discovered across Google Search and within the Gemini application. The company initially previewed the feature in May during its I/O event.

The primary goal of Universal Cart is to streamline the online shopping process. Users can save items they are interested in and continue browsing. Upon returning later, their selections and shopping progress are preserved, eliminating the need to re-find products or restart the process. The tool aggregates items from multiple retailers, acting as a central repository for browsing and monitoring potential purchases.

Google states that Universal Cart also assists shoppers in staying informed about deals and product availability. The feature can provide notifications when the price of a saved item decreases or when a product that was out of stock becomes available again.

Additionally, the tool is designed to offer more personalized assistance during the shopping journey. Google indicates that it can consider credit card benefits when helping users select payment methods and also surface relevant promotional codes. The checkout process is integrated with Google's Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), an open standard introduced by the company earlier this year.