Google Now Allows Subscriptions in Shopping Ads
▼ Summary
– Google now allows U.S. merchants to sell physical goods through subscriptions directly in Shopping ads, aiming to increase shopper convenience and seller flexibility.
– Eligible merchants can offer recurring subscriptions in categories like apparel, coffee, healthcare, home and garden, personal care, pet supplies, prepared foods, and toys.
– To participate, merchants must update their product feeds with the subscription_cost attribute, including billing period, period length, and amount details.
– This update enables merchants to tap into the subscription commerce trend, potentially boosting customer retention and lifetime value while gaining a competitive edge.
– Google’s move positions it to better compete with platforms like Amazon, Shopify, and TikTok Shop by supporting recurring revenue and “set it and forget it” shopping.
Google has introduced a significant enhancement for ecommerce in the United States, permitting merchants to sell physical products via subscription models directly within their Shopping advertisements. This strategic update is designed to increase shopper convenience while offering sellers greater operational flexibility.
Beginning this month, qualified U.S. merchants running Shopping ads can now list physical goods on a recurring subscription basis. The policy officially enables subscriptions across a wide range of categories, including apparel, coffee, healthcare (with the exception of prescription medications), home and garden supplies, personal care items, pet supplies, prepared foods, and toys.
To take part, merchants are required to update their product feeds by including the subscription_cost attribute, which must detail the billing period (such as week, month, or year), the length of each period, and the total amount. Google supports only one subscription price per landing page, and promotional discounts or sales on subscription plans are not currently available.
This development allows businesses to capitalize on the rapidly growing subscription commerce trend, from monthly coffee deliveries to automatic pet supply replenishment, all without exiting the Google Shopping environment. For brands in sectors like coffee, personal care, and pet supplies, this represents a major chance to improve customer retention and increase lifetime value. Additionally, early adoption of subscription features on Google may provide a competitive advantage as more consumers gravitate toward convenient, automatically renewed purchases.
By formally supporting subscriptions for physical goods, Google is empowering merchants with a fresh avenue for generating recurring revenue and building lasting customer loyalty. It also gives shoppers more opportunities to enjoy a “set it and forget it” purchasing experience. This move further strengthens Google’s position in the competitive ecommerce arena, allowing it to better rival platforms such as Amazon, Shopify, and TikTok Shop, all of which already provide recurring purchase options.
(Source: Search Engine Land)
