Microsoft wants to make shopping online easier when using the Bing search engine, Bing Chat, and the Edge web browser. Today, it announces new Microsoft Shopping features that will use generative AI to give online buyers some new options.
In a post on the Bing blog today, Microsoft stated it has added new Shopping Guides in Bing and Bing Chat in the US, and in Edge worldwide. It offered an example of how this will work:
Start by going to Bing.com and typing “college supplies” into the search box. Your shopping assistant for the web will do the research for you, using AI to generate a tailored Buying Guide that tells you what to look for in each category, offers product suggestions, and shows the specifications of multiple, similar items next to each other in a smart compare table, so you can quickly compare options without having to click around to various websites.
A new feature for generative AI created review summaries is also rolling out worldwide. Microsoft stated:
While shopping for headphones, you can open Bing Chat in the Edge sidebar and Bing will suggest what aspects to consider when shopping for headphones like sound quality, fit and device compatibility. And when you find a specific pair you like, you can ask Bing Chat in Edge to briefly summarize what people are saying about it online and provide a quick look at top insights and popular opinions about the product.
Finally, the new Price Match feature is rolling out in the US now. It will allow users to not only find the best price online for a product, but it will alert and assist users after they buy something by matching the price if it goes down following the purchase. Microsoft stated:
We’ve partnered with top US retailers with existing price match policies and will be adding more over time. Price Comparison and Price History are built-in browser features that help ensure you’re buying at the right place and time, and Edge helps you automatically apply coupons and cashback when shopping online, right from Bing Chat.
While these new features are rolling out for some users now, it"s possible it might take a while for Microsoft to enable all Bing and Edge users to access these Shopping features.