Update: Google China Shuts Down Shopping Search Service
Google China Blog, 12/12/12
Sameer Samat, Director of Product Management at Google, confirmed today on Google China's official blog that Google would be closing its shopping search service in China. The service has since been shut down.
According to Samat, Google China's shopping search service has not met the company's expectations, and thus has been shut down. Google shopping remains committed to helping Chinese businesses to export their products around the globe. Google will refocus its China business on in-app mobile advertising using its AdMob product, mobile and desktop display advertising, and export-oriented search advertising.
The Google.cn homepage now contains links only to Google's Google.hk search engine, Google translate, and Google's "Shi Hui" group buy search service.
Editor's Note: Google had previously revealed that it was considering a shutdown of its shopping search service in September, after the company terminated its China music search service.
Editor's Note: For more information on this topic, please see "Rumor: Google China to Shut Down Shopping Search Service," MD 12/11/12 and "Google China Undergoes Strategic Transformation," MD 12/11/09 issues.
Keywords: e-commerce search vertical search Sameer Samat Internet Google AdMob online search