As Consumers Crowd Into E-Commerce, Square Looks to Ease Seller Listings on Google

With merchants of all sizes looking to get in on the rush to e-commerce triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic, Square Inc. announced Thursday morning a service that lets sellers set up a product listing on Google.

The new program, aimed at merchants using Square for Retail, aims at simplifying online listings via a direct integration with Google Merchant Center. The integration allows merchants to upload a product catalog to Google properties such as Search, the Shopping tab, Images, Maps, or YouTube. The listings allow consumers to click to buy directly from the merchant, Square says in a release. The company would not comment further on the new service, though the release indicates there is “no additional cost” for merchants. Square for Retail is a service that equips sellers for both in-store and e-commerce sales.

“Our goal is to help sellers reach new customers,” said Alyssa Henry, an executive vice president at Square, in a statement. “Online sales have been a significant revenue driver for sellers of all types and sizes over the past year.” She hints there may be further developments with Google aimed at simplifying transactions for Square sellers. “We’re looking forward to partnering with Google to unlock even more opportunities for retailers as they look toward the future and begin to rebuild,” she said.

The new program also drives more traffic for Google’s properties. “Google has a natural synergy with platforms like Square as we both work toward supporting a more open commerce ecosystem and empowering retailers of all sizes,” said Bill Ready, president of commerce at Google Inc., in a statement. “Our new integration will help Square for Retail merchants to become discoverable to more people across Google for free, and ultimately give consumers more choice in their shopping journeys.” Ready joined Google in January last year after a six-year stint at PayPal Holdings Inc.