Google acquires shopping site Like.com

Google buys shopping website Like.com

Google and Like.com, a shopping web site, both announced Monday that the search company has bought Like.com, which uses visual search technology to allow customers shop online by looking at pictures of shoes, clothing, bags, or similar items.

The details of the transaction were not disclosed.

In statement via email, Google spokesperson Andrew Pederson said, “We're pleased and excited to welcome Like.com to Google, where they'll work closely with our commerce team.”

“We're excited about the technology they've built and the domain expertise they'll bring to Google as we continue to work on building great e-commerce experiences for our users, advertisers and partners.”

The comparison shopping web site will continue to run autonomously from Google, according to Pederson.

Like.com was launched by Riya in November 2006 and Google's purchase of the company is seen as a reaction to Bing, a so-called shopping “decision engine”, which is owned by Microsoft.

“We were the first to bring visual search to shopping; the first to build an automated cross-matching system for clothing, and more,” Munjal Shah, chief executive officer of Riya. “We see joining Google as a way to supervise our vision and supercharge our passion.”

Bing has teamed up with Yahoo by incorporating its engine with Yahoo internet searches starting last week in North America in an attempt to undercut Google's influence.

Yahoo will determine how results are shown and has promised to provide customers relevant search results according to their shopping tastes and interests.

Microsoft and Yahoo have a ten-year pact signed last year to provide collective Internet search and advertising efforts to match up with Google.

Yahoo will use Microsoft's Bing search engine on its own site while offering the exclusive global sales force for premium advertisers.

Posted by Melanie Mendoza on Tuesday August 24 2010, 6:14 AM EST. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Shopping. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0