Google outs Shopper 2.0 for Android, adds NY/SF to Offers
updated 12:00 pm EDT, Tue July 12, 2011
Adds new services for local shopping
Google has released new features for its Google Shopper for Android app. The enhancements in version 2.0 include an improved layout, and the addition of tabs for more personalized shopping. Google also announced that it had expanded its Offers local shopping service beta test to New York and the San Francisco Bay area.
The layout changes in Shopper, which include moving buttons for common tasks such as ‘Starred’ and ‘History’ to the top of the page, are intended to make navigation easier. Three new tabs have also been added to the bottom of the screen.
These new tabs provide access to local shopping features through some of Google's other shopping services. The "Today's Offer" tab displays a single offer for discounted goods or services in the viewer's local area. It is tied to Google Offers, currently in beta in three metropolitan areas. The "Nearby Offers" tab shows offers for nearby eating and entertainment that have been submitted through Google Places. The "My Offers" tab allows storing, fetching, and redeeming saved offers. In the future, these coupons will be accessible and redeemable through Google Wallet, the company's mostly NFC-based mobile payment service.
In a separate announcement, Google has expanded its local deals Google Offers beta to the Metropolitan San Francisco and New York areas. Offers is a time sensitive promotional service similar to Groupon or Living Social. It provides a daily offer from a local merchant. The app was initially launched in Portland, Oregon, and will soon be expanding to Austin, Boston, Denver, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
