3 Google features to help you get last-minute holiday gifts
Black Friday has come and gone, which means many people have already finished their holiday shopping. But if you’re anything like me, you still have a few big items you’re looking for. We’re not alone: One in three shoppers consider themselves procrastinators when it comes to holiday shopping.1 And search interest for things like “overnight shipping” and “next-day shipping” spike every December. In fact, for the past three years, search interest for “overnight shipping” has peaked on December 22, and searches for “last-minute gifts” spiked 800% last December compared to November.
So today, we’re sharing a few ways you can use Google tools to ace your last-minute holiday shopping.
1. Filter for products you can get fast
When the holidays are fast-approaching and you’re still empty handed, it can be hard to know where to start. Twenty percent of people say the biggest challenge to last-minute shopping is that it's hard to find a wide selection of gifts that will arrive on time.2 So this year, we’ve added a new way to shop for products you can get fast.
Starting this week, when you’re shopping for gifts on Search on mobile or desktop in the U.S., you can filter for products you can get by December 24. Select the “Get it by Dec 24” filter on Search — or the “Get it fast” filter during other times of year — to see products you can get quickly, whether because they’re in stock near you or they ship fast. Once you tap the filter, you’ll see relevant products labeled with the merchant’s cheapest on-time delivery offering (and what they charge) and nearby stores that have them in stock.
2. Track your packages right in Gmail
When you order last-minute gifts, you might be keeping an extra close eye on their delivery dates. With package tracking in Gmail in the U.S., you’ll see delivery updates clearly labeled on shopping emails right in your inbox list view on mobile and desktop. That way, you can easily check when your order will arrive, including whether it’s coming sooner or later than originally planned.
We’re starting to roll out some helpful updates to this feature this month, including bumping an email with package tracking information to the top of your inbox if your delivery date changes.
Opt into package tracking from your Gmail settings, and Gmail will automatically show your order statuses using available tracking numbers. You can opt out at any time through your Gmail settings.
3. Quickly find return policies
Even when you do your research, sometimes a gift just doesn’t work out. So we’re making it easier to find a merchant’s return policy. Now, after your package has arrived, we’ll include a link to that merchant’s return guidelines (when available) at the top of shopping-related emails in Gmail on desktop and mobile in the U.S. We show return policies across Search, too — just look for labels like “free 90-day returns” on product listings or merchant links when you’re shopping.
