Fast shipping is great, but sometimes you need a product ASAP. If you’ve ever searched for something with hopes of getting it right away at a local store–you’ve probably encountered Local Inventory ads.
These ads appear as a banner on Shopping ads with text like “in-store” or “pick up today”. They let shoppers know they can get your product locally instead of waiting for it in the mail (or without going inside the store!)
As a brick-and-mortar retailer, these ads provide a way to increase valuable foot traffic to your stores. Curious to see if Local Inventory Ads are a good fit for your business? In this blog, we’ll discuss what they are and key benefits of using them.
What Are Local Inventory Ads?
Local inventory ads appear as banners on Google Shopping ads with text like “In Store” or “Pickup Today”. They often appear when shoppers search for location specific keywords such as “fake plants near me” or “buy fake plants Columbus OH.” These ads give retailers the ability to display their products and store information in a more direct way than traditional Product Listing Ads.
Local Inventory Ads Storefronts
When a local inventory ad is clicked, Google directs shoppers to a retailer-specific storefront that includes key information shoppers demand, such as:
- Real-Time Stock Status
- Store Hours
- Store Distance
- Reviews
- Product Details
Above is an example of a Local Inventory Ads storefront. When you click on an ad, this type of storefront appears. From this page, shoppers can purchase your product or continue through to your website. Shoppers can also search your store inventory from this page to look for similar products.
If you scroll down on the storefront page, there are product reviews and details about your product. If you have multiple store locations, customers can look for other nearby locations and check stock status.
Where Do Local Inventory Ads Appear?
Local Inventory ads can appear in the following locations:
- Top of Search Results
- Top of Image Results
- On the Shopping Tab
- “See What’s in Store” Panel in Search and Maps
Top of Search Results
Top of Image Results
Shopping Tab
“See What’s in Store” Panel (Mobile)
Key Benefits of Local Inventory Ads
Now that you have a better idea of what Local Inventory Ads are and where they can appear, let’s dive into the benefits of using them!
1. Flexibility for Shoppers
A local shopper with intent to buy a product immediately is given greater flexibility through these ads, as they can elect to:
- Purchase online
- Reserve the item
- Purchase in-store
There are many reasons a shopper might elect to purchase from a local store instead of buying online. Perhaps they need the product that day, and it is faster to pick up locally. Maybe they already plan on visiting your store, and it would be convenient for them to get their purchase at the same time.
No matter the reason, offering alternative buying options to suit your customers’ needs is always a good idea!
2. The Storefront Page
The local Google storefront page is a unique differentiator of local inventory ads that mimics the in-store shopping experience on a digital scale. This provides valuable additional information such as product reviews, images, and physical store directions.
The storefront can help reduce friction in your sales process. Reviews are great social proof that can convince shoppers to buy your products. Directions also make it easier for customers to quickly pull up your location on their phone and drive to your store.
3. Promote In-Store Inventory
According to Google, nearly half of all shoppers prefer to know that what they’re looking for is in stock before making a trip to the store. By utilizing local listings, businesses can promote their in-store inventory in real-time, letting customers know that what they’re searching for is available now and at a nearby location.
These ads are a great way to encourage potential customers to make in-store purchases and can help to increase foot-traffic to your physical business.
4. Online and Offline Optimization
Merchants have the ability to drive online sales as well as offline with these ads. When a shopper engages with a Local Inventory Ad, they have the option to make an online purchase and to schedule for pickup at a later time. Merchants can also opt in to include optimization badges to their ads to include phrases like “curbside pickup” and “distance to local store”.
Displaying badges over your ads communicates to the potential customer an easy, seamless shopping experience and can provide that extra encouragement needed to drive a sale.
Local inventory ads are a great way to show shoppers retail store locations and information like open hours and stock status. Once inventory is verified, ads will begin to serve and the structure of Local Inventory ads will make it easy to track performance. Any brick and mortar retailer looking to boost foot traffic and also give shoppers more purchasing flexibility should evaluate if these ads are right for them.
Need help setting up Local Inventory Ads for your business?
Reach out to discuss your goals with an Omnitail analyst today. We’ll help you create a strategy for using Local Inventory Ads to help reach your goals and drive profit for your business!
