Google Mobile: How to Check In-Store Product Availability

Tired of running around store to store only to be greeted with the Out of Stock sign?  Google Mobile to the rescue.  Google Mobile through product search has launched the blue dot feature which allows you to check the availability of your must have at participating retailers. The days of calling retailers and being transferred 3x or being placed on hold for 20 minutes are a thing of the past …well for Best Buy, Sears, Pottery Barn and West Elm and if you have an iPhone, Palm WebOS phone, or any Android.

How to Check Product Availability: Look for the Blue Dot

Simply search Google.com  and look for the “Shopping results” and if you see a blue dot, click on the “In stock nearby” link, and you’ll be directed to the retailer’s page see whether the item is “In Stock” or has “Limited Availability.”  Enable My Location or manually enter your location and the nearest retail outlet with your product in stock will appear.

Become a Participating Retailer

Interested in being a participating retailer?  Google suggests updating your product search data in your account as well as your  Google Local Business Center listing and complete the .

The retailers are limited at this point and the accuracy of the products actually being in stock is yet to be determined.  There was no indication as to how often the data would be updated but is expected that this is per merchant.

As more retailers are added, will this be a useful tool?

photo credit: Google Merchant Blog