Google introduced a Beta version of a new shopping search engine called Froogle. Froogle locates stores that sells the items shoppers want to find, and points directly to the page where shoppers can make a purchase.

In searches for antiques and collectibles, Froogle comes up with items on antique mall TIAS.com, as well as individual storefronts on Yahoo and AuctionWatch. As Google's spidering software crawls the Internet, it automatically identifies Web pages that offer products for sale (fixed-price items only).

Storefronts (http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/pages/stores) typically charge a small monthly fee (~$9.99/month) and a Final Value Fee (~2%). Individuals and small businesses who own a storefront will gain increased exposure if Froogle becomes popular with consumers.

Froogle also includes product information submitted electronically by merchants, but does not allow preferred merchants.

Larger manufacturers, retailers and distributors will also benefit from Froogle, as sales items will show up on search results. They may also increasingly try to liquidate excess inventory and returns on their own Web sites given the exposure Froogle will give low-priced items. Google has been beta-testing for a year a "Search Catalogs" feature of over 700 mail-order catalogs available at http://catalogs.google.com. Google Catalogs limits the vendors that may participate, however.

Froogle does not sell products or promote partner stores within the search results. There is no shopping cart, and Froogle points searchers directly to the page where the item is for sale.

Why the name Froogle? "Froogle is a play on the word "frugal," meaning thrifty, and the name "Google," which has come to stand for excellence in search technology."

http://froogle.google.com