Google launches Froogle in time for Christmas shopping

For retailers, it is free to be featured on the site by uploading a feed with product offers. Froogle says that it drives traffic to their sites without any cost. For people using Google's Ad Words system, which gives sponsored links at the side of the standard search, there is an option to syndicate their Ad Word on Froogle and Google's Gmail service, which is currently being tested.

Cosmos Nicolau, engineering director of Google, said: "As Google continues to explore opportunities to bring more of the world's information to users in more countries and more languages, Froogle UK enables us to provide the UK marketing with the tools they need for a better online shopping experience today and through the upcoming holiday season."

He said that there were no plans at present to promote the service, and that word of mouth would send traffic to the site.

Froogle will compete with the well-established Kelkoo, although Barclaycard closed the other major player, Shopsmart, in 2002.

Research by IMRG says that 20m Britons are expected to shop online this year, spending upwards of £17bn.

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