Google's Universal Cart could change how you shop across the entire internet

For years now, the online shopping experience has been a highly fragmented one. Google knows that it is in the best position to change that, and it has made significant advancements towards that goal over the last few years.

Now, at today's Google I/O event, the tech giant announced the roadmap for its next major commerce-related features, and the main one here is a 'Universal Cart.'

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By  Mark Jansen

Google's Shopping graph has over 60 billion product listings, with users leveraging it to shop over a billion times per day. According to Google, with Universal Cart, shopping on its platforms has the opportunity to become even more powerful, intelligent and fun.

Universal Cart works across merchants and services, allowing you to "add things to your cart while you’re browsing Search, chatting with Gemini, watching YouTube or even reading your Gmail."

Once you add a product to the Universal Cart, instead of simply holding onto the product, the cart proactively gets to work. It starts finding relevant deals, price drops, offers insight on price history, and alerts you if and when an out-of-stock item comes back in stock.

Elsewhere, the cart is capable of 'intelligent reasoning,' allowing it to anticipate your needs proactively. So, for example, if you're building your first custom PC and have already added a few parts to your Universal Cart, Gemini will be able to scan the products you've added and flag any incompatibilities and suggest alternatives.

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Additionally, "since the cart was built on Google Wallet, it understands your payment method perks, loyalty information and merchant offers so it can help you choose. This lets you quickly find opportunities for hidden savings or points without having to remember them yourself."

Google plans to roll out the Universal Cart across Search and the Gemini app in the US this summer. Support for shopping via YouTube and Gmail will follow.