Showing "in stock nearby" on Google for your shop

Short answer: If your shop sells branded products with manufacturer barcodes and uses a compatible till, Google's free Local Inventory app (formerly Pointy) can push your in-store products to your Business Profile, Search and Maps automatically. Larger shops with their own stock data can use Merchant Center's free local listings instead, and add click and collect if the website can take reservations. Shops selling mostly unbarcoded or handmade items can still add key products by hand.

The search behind this is simple: "is anyone near me selling X today?" Google answers it with a "See what's in store" panel and product results that carry a shop's name and distance. If your stock isn't there, the answer points to someone else.

What Google offers (as of November 2026)

Three routes, all managed through Google Merchant Center behind the scenes:

The Local Inventory app. Google's Business Profile help says this service used to be called Pointy and is now integrated into Google. It syncs products from your point-of-sale system at no charge, and creates the product feed for you.
Cost-free local listings. A Merchant Center add-on that shows your products and shop information to nearby shoppers. If your website doesn't show in-store stock, Google can host a simple page for your shop instead. The UK is on Google's list of supported countries.
Local inventory ads. The paid version of the same idea, with extra options such as "pick up today". This article sticks to the free routes.

Your products may then appear on Google Search, Maps, the Shopping tab and your Business Profile.

Options by shop size

Small independent with a modern till

A newsagent, hardware shop, toy shop, pharmacy-style retailer or bike shop selling branded goods.

This is the case the Local Inventory app was built for. According to Google, you can add products automatically if you:

are in the US, Canada, UK, Ireland or Australia;
have a physical shop with a wired barcode scanner or a compatible POS system;
sell products with manufacturer (UPC/EAN) barcodes;
have a verified Business Profile; and
are in an eligible retail category.

Google lists Clover, Square and Lightspeed among the POS systems the app works with, and links to a full compatibility list. Check that list for your system before anything else.

Independent with own-brand or handmade stock

A deli, gift shop, bakery, maker's shop or boutique with own labels.

Google's matching relies on manufacturer barcodes: it uses them to find product images and descriptions. Its help page says that if you create your own barcodes or labels, they won't be in Google's database. Two workable options:

For stock that also carries a manufacturer barcode, put both labels on the item and scan both at the till, as Google suggests.
For the rest, add your best sellers by hand with the Product Editor in your Business Profile, one at a time. Google notes that if you later switch on automatic adding, manual entries are replaced once automatic products arrive.

Multi-branch or larger shop with its own stock system

A small chain with an online shop and live stock counts per branch.

Go straight to Merchant Center's cost-free local listings and send local inventory data per shop. This gives you control over prices and availability per location and opens the door to click and collect (below).

Setup sequence

Step 1: Get the Business Profile right

Verify the profile, check the address, opening hours and category, and make sure it's the profile your till account will link to. Google says that if you're redirected during sign-up, sign in with the account that owns the Business Profile.

Step 2: Check eligibility

Use the eligibility check linked from Google's in-store products help page. If you're not eligible for the automatic route, skip to manual products or Merchant Center.

Step 3: Connect the till or create the feed

Local Inventory app: install it through your POS provider's app marketplace or the route Google lists, then follow the prompts to link your Business Profile.
Merchant Center: set up the local listings add-on and submit your local product and inventory data.

Step 4: Get Merchant Center access

Products are managed in Merchant Center even when the app creates them. From your Business Profile choose Edit profile, then Products, then Add product, and request access if you don't have it.

Step 5: Check what customers see

Search for a product you stock plus "near me" on your phone, and open your Business Profile's products section. Make sure prices match the shelf.

Step 6: Keep stock honest

Nothing irritates a shopper more than an "in stock" result for an item that sold out yesterday. Ring every sale through the till (no "misc" button for barcoded items) so the sync reflects reality.

Adding click and collect

If your website can take orders or reservations for collection, Google's Merchant Center supports a collection feature, and the UK is on the list of countries where it works with cost-free local listings. Google's requirements for the website include:

the option to collect on the same day or later, shown on the product page or in checkout;
a clear timeframe for when the item will be ready;
letting the customer choose the collection shop;
showing any collection fee or minimum order value;
sending a notification (email or SMS) when the order is ready; and
showing fulfilment options before payment details are entered.

Those are worth building even if you never touch Google's feature, because they're what customers expect from click and collect anyway.

Delivery partner stock

Google says in-store inventory from delivery partners such as Instacart, DoorDash and Uber Eats can automatically show on Google, and that you can opt out or unlink those sources. If you sell through one of those apps, check what Google is already showing before you set up a second source.

FAQ

Does this cost anything?

The Local Inventory app and cost-free local listings are free, according to Google. Local inventory ads are paid.

Is "Pointy" still a thing?

Google's help says Pointy is now the Local Inventory app, fully integrated into Google.

My shop is in Ireland. Same process?

The Local Inventory app lists Ireland as eligible. Google's collection feature, however, isn't currently supported for cost-free local listings in Ireland.

Will my prices show?

Products shown through Google can include price and availability. Make sure the till price and the online price agree.

If your till, website and Google profile each tell a different story about what's on the shelf, show us how your stock is recorded.