Google Local Inventory, formerly Pointy from Google, helps you turn online searchers into in-store shoppers. Make your products more discoverable and attract in-store visits with or without a website. Your inventory will be automatically synced and shown to potential customers searching for products near them on Google Local Listings.

Understanding Google Local Inventory

With Google Local Inventory, in-store products are automatically shown on Local Listings, including Google Maps, Google Shopping, Google Assistant, See what's in store (SWIS) on Business Profiles, and in local search for free.

Depending on the type of search, your products can appear in different places in the results when customers search for products near them:

Product or category search

Relevant products, like "raw dog food", are shown in the search results.

Navigational or multi-location search

Customers can explore products sold in nearby stores or at different locations.

Getting started with Google Local Inventory

Lightspeed Retail merchants are auto-enrolled in Local Inventory. Here’s how it works:

1. A Merchant Center account will be automatically created for you and linked to your Google Business Profile.
2. Products and store locations from Retail POS will sync with your Merchant Account and Business Profile.

3. Local Inventory will be enabled and Google will start showing your products across Local Listings.

Product prices will be hidden by default.

Adding products to Google Local Inventory

Scan or add products to your Retail POS product catalog as per usual. Your inventory will be automatically synced with your Business Profile and updated in Local Listings where applicable.

Product images and descriptions are automatically pulled from the manufacturer barcodes listed in Retail POS and added to Local Inventory.

To use Google Local Inventory, your products must have UPC/EAN barcodes available in Retail POS.

Removing products from Google Local Inventory

If you remove a product from your product catalog in Retail POS, it will also be removed from Google Local Inventory.

To remove all your products from Local Inventory, navigate to the Data Sources or Products tabs in your Google Merchant Center account and adjust your settings as needed.

It may take up to 2 days for products to be removed. Basic product information may still appear in organic search results if you have an online store. 

Disconnecting the Google Local Inventory app in Retail POS

If you want to prevent future syncs, you can disconnect the Google Local Inventory app in Retail POS:

1. Navigate to Setup > Apps.
2. Click the trash icon next to the Google Local Inventory app.

   

3. In the confirmation window, click Disconnect.

   

   Disconnecting the Google Local Inventory app only prevents future syncs, it does not remove products that have already synced. You can remove your products from Local Inventory in your Google Merchant Center account.

You can reconnect the app by navigating to Setup > Apps, scrolling down to the Engage with Customers section, and clicking Connect on the Google Local Inventory app card.

What's next?