The Smartest Ways To Use AI For Black Friday & Cyber Monday
If you’re still doing your holiday shopping the old-fashioned way, clicking through endless tabs and praying the right deal magically appears, you’re basically choosing stress as a hobby. We’re living in the era of AI-powered shopping. There’s no reason to suffer.
This holiday season, shoppers can either grind through the chaos or tap into Google’s latest AI features that turn Black Friday and Cyber Monday into something shockingly manageable… maybe even fun. Yes, I said fun.
Here are the four smartest ways to let AI handle the heavy lifting so you can focus on, you know, actually enjoying your weekend.
1. Track Prices So You Never Miss a Deal
No one needs to spend their holiday weekend refreshing retailer pages like it’s 2009.
Google’s price tracking tool lets you tap “track price,” enter the exact specs you want (color, size, your deal price), and then walk away. Google will monitor every store for you and alert you the moment the price drops.
And with eligible retailers, you can take it a step further: agentic AI checkout. Yes, that means Google can complete the purchase for you securely on the retailer’s site using Google Pay. Set your price, set your preferences, and let it do its thing.
Not waiting for a sale? Use price insights to instantly check if the deal you’re seeing is legit or a marketing illusion. Google will show you historical pricing so you know whether you’re actually scoring a deal.
2. Get AI to Shop for the Hardest Person on Your List
Every family has that one person who claims they “don’t need anything” while simultaneously rejecting every gift idea known to mankind. This is where AI shines.
Google recently upgraded AI Mode in Search and the Gemini app to combine its strongest shopping intelligence with conversational prompts. You can describe a person’s vibe, lifestyle, climate, hobbies, whatever you’ve got. Try something like:
“Find me skin care products for my mom who lives in dry Colorado winters.”
AI Mode will respond with curated recommendations, visuals, reviews, promotions and inventory data. With more than 50 billion listings in Google’s Shopping Graph, you’re seeing the best options surfaced in seconds.
It’s like having a personal shopper who actually listens.
3. Use Agentic AI to Find Items Locally This Small Business Saturday
If you’re trying to support local shops but hate the “calling ten stores to ask if they have something in stock” scavenger hunt, good news. You don’t have to.
Just search the item you want “near me” on Google. In categories like toys, health and beauty and electronics, you’ll see a “Let Google call” option.
Google will:
• Ask a few quick questions
• Call nearby stores for you
• Confirm availability
• Send you a text or email with the results
You can shop small, save time, and skip the phone-tag Olympics.
4. Virtually Try On Holiday Outfits Before You Buy
Trying on clothes in-store during holiday season feels like running a marathon in bad lighting. Thankfully, you can retire from that life.
Google’s virtual try-on tool lets you snap a photo and instantly see how pieces from billions of listings look on you. Holiday dresses, sweaters, shoes… the whole look.
No dressing rooms. No shipping-return roulette. No guessing.
If you need a second opinion, just share the look with friends straight from the tool. Think of it as your personal fitting room without the fluorescent lights.