Google brings its retail catalog app to the Web
Once available only on tablets, the company brings more than 300 catalogs -- such as Williams Sonoma, J. Crew, and Eddie Bauer -- to its new Web app.
Just in time for holiday shopping to start, Google has made its stable of retail catalogs available for browsing on the Web.
It was just over a year ago that the company introduced Google Catalogs for iPad, giving users a way to shop at popular retailers directly from their tablet. An Android app followed.
Today the company is bringing the experience to the Web, offering more than 300 catalogs including Williams Sonoma, J. Crew, and Eddie Bauer. Users can browse alphabetically or by category. Inside a catalog, clicking "view details" on an items will take you to the retailer's site to make a purchase.
The move marks Google's second effort at bringing catalogs to the Web. As The Wall Street Journal noted at the launch of the original tablet app, Google released a product called Catalog Search in 2001 but retired it in 2009.
And Google has bigger plans for catalogs: "Over time, we plan to incorporate catalogs more deeply throughout the Google Shopping experience, giving you more ways to find ideas and inspiration as you shop and engage with your favorite brands," the company said in a blog post.
You can find the Web app here.