Google has launched Shoploop, a site where brands and influencers can create short videos showcasing a product and provide a direct link to buy it. The site, currently only available on mobile web, aims to combine ads, tutorials, reviews and shopping in one platform.
The idea for Shoploop came when Lax Poojary, founder of Google’s experimental workshop Area 120, was riding the New York City subway and saw a woman switching between apps on her phone, Poojary wrote in a Google 120 blog post. Turns out, the woman had seen a social media post about a makeup product, looked up a review for it on YouTube and then had to navigate to an online shop. It occurred to Poojary that this process could be simplified.