Google is launching a new Universal Cart tool that leverages Gemini and the Universal Commerce Protocol to allow buyers to gather together products from across the web through Gemini, Gmail, YouTube, and more, with added benefits such as deal tracking and smart recommendations.
The Universal Cart essentially boils all of your shopping, at least on Google, into one central hub. Whether you’re finding products on Search, Gemini, YouTube, or Gmail, you can add everything to a single cart. When you do add something to the cart, Gemini works in the background to find deals, track price changes, and even makes useful recommendations based on what it sees.
One of the clever use cases Google lays out here is shopping for PC parts – ironic, given the AI-fueled pricing crisis hitting the gaming market. Gemini will be able to identify PC parts in your cart, even if they’re from multiple retailers, and be able to identify product incompatibilities without you asking.
Another way the Universal Cart can proactively help is by knowing perks and loyalty programs for the retailers you’re shopping with, even leveraging info from Google Wallet, to help you use points or find additional savings.
For compatible retailers – which will include some big names such as Walmart, Shopify, Wayfair, Nike, Target, and more – the Universal Cart will be a one-step checkout too, with buyers able to make a purchase across multiple retailers with a single Google Pay process. You can even transfer items from one merchant to another within the Universal Cart.
