Walmart Introduces Image Search With TrendGetter
Walmart is the latest retailer to introduce an image based search feature to help buyers easily find and purchase items they see across social media and the web, using Google Vision image recognition technology.
Casey Schlaybaugh
Fortunately, that’s where TrendGetter comes in. Using image recognition technology, TrendGetter makes it easier for Walmart customers to find great deals on those products and stay within their holiday budgets. Here’s how it works:
- Visit TrendGetter.com
- Simply take a picture of an item you love, or upload an image from your device.
- Then, let TrendGetter get to work and find similar items at great prices on Walmart.com.
- Select and purchase your item in a fast and easy experience.
This holiday season, we know our customers are searching for what they love at can’t-miss prices. Now, whenever you find a product you love, you can easily search for a similar item at Walmart’s everyday low prices and purchase as soon as inspiration strikes.
Read full FAQ here:
What is TrendGetter?
TrendGetter uses Google’s Vision image recognition technology to help customers find products or products of a similar style or trend within Walmart’s vast catalog of items.How does it work?
Visit trendgetter.com and upload or take a photo of an item you love. Then, TrendGetter will look for that item or similar items that are available for purchase at a great price at Walmart.com.What does Walmart do with any photos I upload?
We will only use the photo you upload to conduct the visual search of our product catalog. Then, your photo will be deleted. You can learn more about the use of photos by Google Vision here.What types of items can be found with TrendGetter?
Once a photo is uploaded, the tool will source similar items that can be shopped on Walmart.com. The possibilities can range from fashion, to tech, to toys, to décor!What tips do you have to help me take a better photo of an item I like?
Keep it simple and feature one item at a time. Get close and frame the product by dragging the lens in. Put items in their best light, avoiding dark or shadowy images.I received the response “Choose a different image.” What does that mean?
Either the image submitted was not clear enough for our technology to identify OR the image was deemed inappropriate (e.g., sexual, violent, offensive, etc.) and therefore not processed.
much too complicated now for a few pounds a year in sales
They just "killed the golden goose". I imported my 1500+ eBay items to there since it was free. Turned out just to be a lot of work for (maybe) 3 sales a month.
The total fees were higher there before this new $20 a month cost structure, even though they claimed otherwise. When one factors in the 3.49% + 49 cent PayPal processing fees so one can get paid, there went a good chunk of profit.
Now they have boosted their commission to 11%, and still claim that the cost to sell there is less than eBay's. And remember that this does not include payment processing. WHY?? Makes no sense at all.
On eBay, for $27.95 a month, I sell over 100 items there every 30-31 days. Makes ZERO SENSE to pay a site $20 to make just a couple of sales. Since they now allow 50 "free listings", I have trimmed my offerings back to just below that amount. Also had to raise all my prices accordingly to absorb the extra selling costs.
The people who run the show here obviously didn't realize that eBay sellers who imported their listings gave the site a great depth of product, which would attract more buyers. Now that will be gone, because NO ONE will pay them $20 monthly for little to no sales.
The site also has technical issues that they refuse to fix. It was a decent resource to enable the occasional sale, but they will soon be stacked onto the eCommerce trash heap of companies that THOUGHT they could compete with Amazon and eBay. Etsy may also suffer the same fate soon, as many sellers are also leaving their site due to high fees, website issues, and poor management.
Basic eComm rule here: When you do not carry any inventory, and sellers are solely responsible for supplying your site with the goods offered, DON'T BITE THE HAND WHICH FEEDS YOU!!!