Google Inc. plans to introduce a new shopping feature in time for the holiday season, an analyst noted Friday, which sets the stage for an even bigger clash with eBay Inc. and other online-commerce companies.
In a report for Bear Stearns clients, analyst Robert Peck described a new feature that’s based on Google Base, a feature Google launched last October that lets people freely list items for sale.
Simultaneously, Google intends to “de-emphasize” its own Froogle shopping search engine, a Web site featuring paid listings from eBay and other online retailers. Google intends for Froogle to no longer be a standalone Web site; instead its listings would be absorbed by other search features, Peck wrote in his report.
The new shopping feature is likely to rattle electronic merchants, especially eBay, which has been working for some time now to ensure its own listings are included in Froogle shopping results.
Michael Keenan on September 24th, 2006 at 3:43 pm
Google knows exactly where the money is and it was only a matter of time before they got a hand into the online auction world. Big money lies in online auction revenues and hopefully there hand in this may give more value to online sellers in regards to monies charged via ebay. Competition will give savings to those who sell via this method, and I am one of them.
kobi gariani on September 25th, 2006 at 8:45 am
Everybody are doing it - also Ebay.
The announced the ebay express - fixed price/buy it now - they did it to Amazon…