Google Buys Pointy To Boost Local Brick-And-Mortar Retail

Tech retail startup Pointy will be acquired by Google, the company announced in a blog post.

Pointy is an easy way for merchants to get their products online and increase their web presence. The company sells a peripheral for a one-time fee that connects to a barcode scanner or POS, and it automatically lists products when they’re scanned.

Pointy said its product also helps a business with its online presence, as well as to show up in Google search results.

“We’ve got exciting news to share. Pointy has entered into an agreement to be acquired by Google. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to close in the coming weeks,” Pointy said in its blog. “The last six years have been an incredible adventure, and today marks the start of a new chapter. From small beginnings, we’re very proud to serve local retailers in almost every city and every town in the US and throughout Ireland. Many incredibly talented people have joined our team, we’ve received the backing of an amazing group of investors, and formed some fantastic partnerships. It is a great pleasure to work on something that helps local businesses in towns and cities everywhere.”

Pointy and Google have worked together closely for the past few years, and Pointy said they share the same view on technology, and how it can improve how local businesses function. The acquisition will allow for people to find local stores and products on a bigger scale, it said.

Its main mission, Pointy said, is to help retailers appear online, as well as give them the tools they need to flourish.

“When we started Pointy, our mission was to make things better for local retailers. That remains our mission today. All of our services continue to operate as usual. We look forward to building even better services in the future, with the backing of Google’s resources and reach,” Pointy said.