Shopping local using the Internet
March 9, 2020 11:30 AM Subscribe
How do you search multiple local stores for specific products? Google Shopping doesn't seem to cover the various regional stores in my area that might carry something.
Is there a way to make this easier with a custom search page? I am willing to add websites and their search protocols to some kind of profile or database one time. Once that is done, I would like to be able to enter one item "bagel slicer" and see all of the results from all of the domains. It does not have to show the prices or anything fancy, just a list of links to the pages that each search returns.
Is there a way to make this easier with a custom search page? I am willing to add websites and their search protocols to some kind of profile or database one time. Once that is done, I would like to be able to enter one item "bagel slicer" and see all of the results from all of the domains. It does not have to show the prices or anything fancy, just a list of links to the pages that each search returns.
Agreed: there has to be a back-end inventory & e-commerce system for Google to plug into.
"Big box stores" like Home Depot, Lowes, Wal-Mart, or the chain craft stores have a good enough web site that you can do this. The site BrickSeek will search a lot of these at once for price & availability...but it's still just the local location of a giant company, and not a small business. :7(
(I know someone who was trying to help local businesses with this problem, but it's a lot of work for little return when considered per purchase -- but if it means reminding shoppers that your business even exists, then maybe it's worth it?)
posted by wenestvedt at 12:37 PM on March 9, 2020
"Big box stores" like Home Depot, Lowes, Wal-Mart, or the chain craft stores have a good enough web site that you can do this. The site BrickSeek will search a lot of these at once for price & availability...but it's still just the local location of a giant company, and not a small business. :7(
(I know someone who was trying to help local businesses with this problem, but it's a lot of work for little return when considered per purchase -- but if it means reminding shoppers that your business even exists, then maybe it's worth it?)
posted by wenestvedt at 12:37 PM on March 9, 2020
This might not be exactly what you are looking for, but this app (Flipp-Android) does that well enough for me. It doesn't search entire inventories though, just the items in the weekly flyers. It does do that well though.
posted by Laura in Canada at 1:15 PM on March 9, 2020
posted by Laura in Canada at 1:15 PM on March 9, 2020
Response by poster: I am not questioning why these stores don't show up in Google Shopping. I am asking for an alternative to searching each of these websites one at a time.
posted by soelo at 10:15 PM on March 9, 2020
posted by soelo at 10:15 PM on March 9, 2020
This thread is closed to new comments.
So the first question is, are your local stores even using google shopping...
My own experience as an online retailer is that it's a lot of work and not necessarily worth it, especially for cheaper products under 15-20€/$, so that might explain why you can't find much.
posted by PardonMyFrench at 12:07 PM on March 9, 2020 [3 favorites]