Canadian point-of-sale services provider Lightspeed has reportedly teamed up with Google LLC to provide marketing and advertising tools to local retailers. This will allow Lightspeed to integrate Google tools in its renowned cash register software, further helping local businesses improve store visits as well as reopen safely following the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Sources aware of the development stated that this direct integration will not only allow businesses to cater to the growing consumer demand but also enable them to use various Google tools at no additional costs.
The collaboration between Lightspeed and Google will primarily focus on integrating three essential tools into the checkout software namely Google My Business, Smart Shopping Campaigns, and Google In-Store Product Ads.
For those unaware, Google My Business will allow businesses to list themselves directly from the Lightspeed cash register. Retailers will be able to inform customers about the COVID-19 protocols, opening hours, and other related news.
Meanwhile, retailers will be able to display their products across all Google channels using the Smart Shopping Campaigns, further enabling them to reach customers easily and efficiently.
Google In-Store Product Ads basically allows retailers to inform local customers about the stock availability, which in turn can potentially help in improving the store visits.
The founder and CEO of Lightspeed Dax Dasilva was reported saying that the collaboration will allow the two companies to break down the relevant barriers that prevent small to medium businesses from effectively promoting their products online.
Sabrina Geremia, VP and National Director at Google Canada mentioned that local SMBs were severely hit during the pandemic last year. The integration with Lightspeed will allow merchants of all sizes to reach customers effectively in this omnichannel reality.
It is also worth noting here that Google recently published new data stating that searches for local businesses have increased by 80% annually. Additional searches about stock availability have also witnessed an 8000% surge since last year.
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