Google Now for Android has received an update that enables alerts about stores nearby carrying products you've previously researched online. That means if you've queried Google about a toy or a smartphone, next time you're in proximity of a store that actually carries them, those items might automatically appear in a Google Now card along with relevant information.
The new Product Cards show recently researched products along with their price and the store they are available in. All you have to do is physically go into the listed store and see if the product is in stock. It wouldn't be surprising if the search giant added availability information to Google Now one day as well.
The company didn't comment on things like how close you need to be to a store, how long the app will remember the products you've searched, whether there's a limit to the number of searches Google Now will keep track of, whether users can turn off the feature, and more.
In any case the new feature sounds like good news for local businesses. The update comes on the day the company announced it was expanding same-day delivery for Google Shopping Express in parts of New York City and LA.
You can download the new version of Google's search assistant directly from Google Play.