- At its advertiser conference today, Google (GOOG +0.3%, GOOGL +0.3%) is unveiling a new store-sales measurement tool to extend what it already knows about online spending into the brick-and-mortar world.
- The new initiative will make connections between users who click on an ad online but later swipe a credit card to buy the goods at the advertiser's physical store -- currently a low-visibility area for advertisers.
- With its data partnerships, Google says it has access to about 70% of U.S. credit and debit-card transactions. So the tool won't work for the other 30%, or for cash payments.
- The company says it's aggregating that data and shoppers won't be identified by name.
- Pitching to advertisers (many of whom pulled back spending with Google over concerns about brand safety at YouTube), Google will also offer new ways to help merchants drive traffic to physical stores and find out how cross-platform ads are affecting sales.
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Original article