Google launches Shoploop which combines shopping and entertainment

Google has launched a new video shopping services that aims to make shopping entertaining and to introduce customers to new products within 90 seconds.

Developed by Google’s internal R&D division, Area 120, which tests products on members of the public, Shoploop allows customers to scroll not through images but through videos from creators and brands.

Its aim is to blend the social media experience with shopping and is, for the time-being, is focused on hair, beauty and make-up products reviewed by "real people".

"We want to help people experience the look and feel of products they’re shopping for in real life without going to a physical store. Shoploop helps you get product reviews from real people who are knowledgeable about the products in a particular area," Google said.

Videos include creators showing shoppers how to dye their hair, apply nail stickers and treat acne-prone skin among many other topics.

Currently, the creators negotiate their own brand deals for the content they showcase and the Shoploop product itself is not yet monetised.

Its launch comes on the back of a number of startups in the video shopping space such as Dote and Popshop Live, as well as Amazon's own Live product, but clearly Google's reach means Shoploop, which is still in the experimental stage, could become a major player in the sector.