Shopping for Local Bargains

By default, Froogle searches the entire Web for the products you're shopping for. But sometimes you don't want to buy from a merchant clear across the country (or the globe); sometimes a big item is best purchased from a traditional retailer close by, or you can get faster shipping from someone local.

When you want to find merchants near you that are selling the merchandise you're looking for, you can use the Google Maps service. We'll talk more about Google Maps in Chapter 18, "Using Google Maps"; for now, all you need to know is that Google Maps includes a vast database of local merchants. When Google Maps is combined with Froogle, you get a database of merchandise available locally.

There are several ways to use Froogle's Google Maps connection, as we'll now discuss.

Local Bargains from the Main Froogle Search Box

When you want to search for items for sale in your area, just add near location or near zipcode to the end of your query. This restricts the search results to the city, state, or ZIP Code you specify.

For example, to search for DVD players in the Minneapolis area, enter dvd players near minneapolis, as shown in Figure 16.8. This may generate a list of local results, although it's more likely you'll see a "did not match any products" page. From here, you can click the Local Shopping or Local Results link, as discussed next.

Figure 16.8. Searching for items for sale where you live

Local Bargains from the Search Results Page

At the top of every search results page there's a Search for Item Near You section, like the one in Figure 16.9. Sometimes you'll also see a Local Results link at the top of a search results page, with a Google Maps icon (like the one in Figure 16.10). Enter the appropriate information (or click the link) and Froogle displays a list of local merchants that have the item in question for sale, as shown in Figure 16.11.

Figure 16.9. Display local Google results by entering your ZIP Code.

Figure 16.10. Click the Local Results link to view items for sale locally.

Figure 16.11. A list of local merchants with the specified item for sale.

This list of local merchants also includes a Google Map of the area, with the merchants pinpointed on the map. Click a pin on the map to display information about that product and merchant, as shown in Figure 16.12.