Google has rolled out a slew of new shopping features leading into the holiday buying season, the latest in a series of changes to its Google Shopping product, which switched from an organic search to a paid search model in October.
Perhaps the most useful of these is a tool called "Shortlists" (profiled in the video below), which is like Google Docs for shopping. Users can create Pinterest-like boards of products in different categories, which is populated with image, pricing and other product information. They can then invite others to view and/or contribute items -- useful if you're trying to, say, crowdsource gifting ideas with friends or family members.
In addition to Shortlists, Google Shopping has begun populating product listings -- for now, just certain toys -- with 360-degree views. Products that have this feature will display a swivel icon on the product image.
Google has also begun displaying reviews directly beneath product images, as well as special offers and discounts from third-party retailers.