Google Images will now give you fashion suggestions
Google wants you to start thinking of its search engine as a place to shop.
The company announced a new feature on Thursday that will showcase images of models sporting any given fashion item when users browse the product on their smartphones.
The tool, called "Style Ideas," is designed to surface "inspirational lifestyle images and outfits that showcase how the product can be worn in real life," according to a blog post from associate product manager Julia Enthoven.
A search for a purse by Zara, for instance, yields a grid of women posing with the handbag in real-world settings.
"With style ideas, you can see real-life options of what bag and jeans look stellar with those red high heels you’ve been eyeing," Enthoven wrote. "Or if running gear is more your speed, no sweat—workout ensemble ideas are just a tap away."
The move comes as Amazon has been quietly beefing up its advertising business to challenge the search giant's supremacy in the digital ads market.
Google's problem is that while people might use its platform to research products, the company's never had much luck making it a final purchase destination.
And a growing portion of shoppers now start their search on Amazon instead of Google, according to a survey from e-commerce startup BloomReach. Fifty-five percent of the 2,000 respondents browse on Amazon first -- up from 44 percent the previous year.
An analyst at BMO Capital downgraded the stock of Google parent Alphabet last week in response to the threat posed to its ad business by Amazon. Days later, Morgan Stanley also sent out a research note predicting Amazon would soon start eating into the Facebook-Google ad duopoly.
Patrick Kulp is a Business Reporter at Mashable. Patrick covers digital advertising, online retail and the future of work. A graduate of UC Santa Barbara with a degree in political science and economics, he previously worked at the Pacific Coast Business Times.
