Great news from Google: Google Shopping is finally coming to Bulgaria. This is one of the most significant changes for e-commerce in the country in years - and it affects every online store, regardless of size or niche.

If you run an online store, get familiar with this advertising format now and be ready to use it from autumn 2026, when it will become available.

What Is Google Shopping?

Google Shopping is a visual format for browsing and comparing products directly in Google search results. When a user searches for a product - for example, "running shoes" or "home coffee machine" - instead of just text links, a feed appears at the top or side of the results page showing the product image, price, merchant name, rating, and delivery information.

The idea is simple and extremely effective: comparison shopping happens directly on Google, before the user has even clicked on a merchant's website. The purchase (at least for now) still takes place on the store's website, but the decision - which product and from which merchant - is largely made within the search engine itself.

The platform has existed since 2002 and is currently active in over 120 countries. Bulgaria is one of the last markets in Europe to introduce the format.

When and How Is Google Shopping Coming to Bulgaria?

Google confirms that the Shopping format will be available in Bulgaria from October 2026 - during one of the busiest periods of the year for merchants: Black Friday, right before the Christmas season.

Why now: One of the key factors behind Bulgaria's late inclusion is the adoption of the euro as the national currency, which enables easier standardisation. Another element is the specific characteristics of the local and regional market, including the high share of cash-on-delivery orders. That said, the platform already operates successfully in Romania and Greece.

How Does Google Shopping Work?

To appreciate why this change is so significant, you need to understand how the platform works in practice and how it will reshape online commerce in Bulgaria.

Google Merchant Center is the centralized platform where merchants manage their presence on Google Shopping. Every online store creates and maintains a product feed - a structured file with data for each product: title, description, price, availability, category, image, link to the product page, and a range of technical attributes.

This data is exchanged directly between the merchant's platform and Google, meaning users see up-to-date information - real prices and stock availability at the moment of the search.

Product rankings are determined by algorithms that consider the relevance of the product to the user's query, the quality and completeness of the product feed, user ratings and reviews, competitive pricing, and - for paid Google Shopping Ads - the allocated budget, ad quality, and all other factors that influence higher placement.

2 Ways Online Stores Can Appear in Google Shopping

There are two ways an online store can show its products in Google Shopping:

• Paid placement (Shopping Ads): appears in the most visible positions — above organic results. Advertisers bid for these spots through Google Ads. Payment is per click (CPC model) and ads carry the "Sponsored" label so users know the result isn't organic.
• Free organic presence: appears further down the page in the Shopping tab. Requires no advertising budget, but does require proper technical setup of Merchant Center and an optimised product feed. Rankings here are based purely on relevance and data quality.

The combination of both approaches - paid advertising for visibility plus organic presence - gives online stores maximum coverage in Google results.

Read more: Organic vs. Paid Content: When, Why and How?

Data From Markets Where Google Shopping Is Already Active

Numbers from markets where Google Shopping is already live demonstrate its importance for online businesses and consumers alike:

• Google Shopping Ads generate 66% of all Google clicks for retail searches, and over 75% of retail advertising budgets on Google go towards Shopping campaigns
• 85% of all clicks in Google Ads campaigns come from the Shopping format
• 82% of online purchases involve a Google search at some point in the decision-making process
• The average cost per click (CPC) for Google Shopping is $0.66 - significantly lower than text ads and traditional ad formats
• Users who click on a Google ad are 50% more likely to buy compared to organic visitors
• 43% of consumers report having made a purchase after seeing a Google ad

Worth revisiting: How Consumers Discovered New Products and Services Just 2 Years Ago

What Will Change for Online Stores in Bulgaria?

The change is fundamental and affects all players in the market - including those who have no plans to advertise.

For online stores that adapt in time: Google Shopping is a channel with exceptionally high commercial effectiveness. The buyer sees the product, price, and delivery terms before they've even reached your website. Purchase intent from these clicks is significantly higher compared to standard text advertising.

For online stores that don't adapt: Sites with strong organic SEO rankings risk losing visibility. When the search results page fills up with visual product cards from your competitors, your text listing - even if it ranks first - will look less appealing and receive fewer clicks.

The turnover of Bulgarian e-commerce already exceeds €2.7 billion annually, according to money.bg. The platform will affect both the largest international chains and the smallest niche online stores.

Also prepare for a drop in organic traffic to your online store following the introduction of Google Shopping. Combined with the effect of Google AI Mode rolling out, you may observe a notable decline compared to results from one or two years ago - especially if you've remained passive towards the new way users search for and discover information online.

How to Prepare Your Online Store for Google Shopping?

Preparing your online store for Google Shopping should happen in several stages. We recommend starting early, as a properly built feed and account require a testing and optimisation period:

1. Set up Google Merchant Center: You need to create an account, verify your store's domain, and connect it to your Google Ads account. This is where all your Google Shopping presence is managed.

2. Build and optimise your product feed: The quality of the data you provide to Google directly determines your effectiveness and return on investment. Titles with the right keywords, complete descriptions, accurate categories, up-to-date prices and availability - every attribute matters. An incomplete or low-quality feed is the primary reason for underperforming Shopping campaigns in Google.

3. High-quality product images: Google Shopping is a visual format. Clear, high-quality product images - ideally on a white or neutral background - directly impact click-through rates. Google has specific image requirements, and failing to meet them can result in products being disapproved from the feed.

4. Campaign strategy and structure: Shopping campaigns are managed differently from standard Search campaigns. Category and product group structure, bidding strategy, and budget allocation all require a specific approach. Make sure your Google advertising partner understands these specifics and has already managed this type of campaign - either in Bulgaria or on international markets.

How Can DGTalents Help Your Online Store?

As a certified Google Advertising Partner, DGTalents manages Google Ads campaigns and our specialists are certified in Google Shopping campaign management. We have hands-on experience running advertising campaigns for online stores across various industries and product categories.

With Google Shopping launching in Bulgaria, we offer:

• Google Merchant Center setup from scratch, including domain verification and Google Ads integration
• Product feed creation and optimisation - structured data aligned with Google's requirements and optimised for search ranking
• Shopping and Performance Max campaign strategy and management — structure, bidding, budget, and daily optimisation
• Competitor monitoring - analysis of competitor pricing and Shopping visibility
• Reporting and recommendations - a clear picture of results and return on investment for your business

Want to get your online store ready for Google Shopping? Contact us for a free consultation - we'll walk through the specific steps for your business.