Picture a shopper typing “waterproof jacket near me” into Google. Your shop is ten minutes away and has the exact jacket in size medium, but Google only knows that if you tell it. That’s the gap local inventory in Google Merchant Center is built to close.
Local inventory is data about which products each of your physical stores has in stock, sent to Merchant Center so Google can show those products to nearby shoppers. It powers two programmes. Free local listings cost nothing[1]. Local inventory ads are not free and need a Google Ads account[6].
Free local listings vs local inventory ads
Both programmes are covered by the same Google setup guide[6]. The main difference for your budget is that one is free and the other is not.
With free local listings, the in-store products you sell can appear at no cost across Google[1]. You send your product and store stock data to Merchant Center.
Local inventory ads are the advertising option. Google says they can help you boost online and in-store sales[1]. They need a Google Ads account on top of Merchant Center[6]. Don’t confuse the two: free local listings cost nothing, but local inventory ads are not free. If you want the full picture of what Merchant Center itself costs, read https://oxfordimpulse.com/is-google-merchant-center-free-what-you-pay/.
Good to know
The UK, Ireland, the US, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy are among the countries in both programmes[1]. Check the overview page for your own country before you plan anything.
What you need before you start
There are three requirements, and it’s worth confirming them first.
- A real shop customers can visit. Google’s policies require a local brick and mortar location that customers can visit[2].
- A Business Profile linked to Merchant Center. Adding your store links your Merchant Center and Business Profile accounts[3].
- Product data online and per-store stock data. Your normal product feed describes the item. The local data says which stores have it and whether it is in stock[4][5].
If you’re unsure how Merchant Center and Business Profile differ, see https://oxfordimpulse.com/google-merchant-center-vs-google-business-profile/.
How local inventory works in Merchant Center
Think of it as four pieces that have to line up: your stores, the Business Profile link, store codes and the per-store stock data.
Stores and the Business Profile link
Adding your store links your Merchant Center and Business Profile accounts. In Merchant Center, go to Settings > Access and services > Apps and services > Google Business Profile > Add service. You must be a super admin to do this[3], so if the option is missing, check your access level first.
Store codes
The store code links each row of stock data to a store. Each row of local stock data has to name the store it belongs to using the store_code attribute. It’s required, up to 64 characters and case sensitive. It must match the store codes in your Business Profile[5][4].
Because store codes are case sensitive, “Leeds01” and “leeds01” are different codes. If your stock rows aren’t matching a store, compare the codes character by character against the Business Profile.
Per-store stock data
Your regular feed has one row per product. Local inventory data adds one row per product per store. Each row needs three attributes[5]:
- id: the same product id used in your main feed
- store_code: the store this row describes
- availability: one of in_stock, limited_availability, on_display_to_order or out_of_stock
Price is only needed if it differs per store[5]. Google’s pages are not consistent about other fields such as quantity, so check the local inventory data specification[5] for your setup before you build your file.
Tip
Use the same id as in your main feed, so each local row can be matched to a product.
Where the data comes from
Local inventory goes in as a supplemental source under Data sources in Merchant Center[4]. It supplements your main product feed rather than replacing it. If you’re still getting the main feed right, start with https://oxfordimpulse.com/beginners-guide-google-merchant-center-feed/.
Google lists four ways to supply the local data[4]:
- A file upload
- The Merchant API
- Automatic reading of your online shop
- A linked local data provider
Choose the method that suits how often your stock changes. If your stock changes often across several shops, a manual file can go out of date quickly, and out-of-date availability can send a shopper to an empty shelf. Fix the source of the data, not the symptom.
Pickup options
You can also tell Google that customers can collect online orders in store. There are three options[1]:
- Pickup today: the item is ready for collection the same day
- Pickup later with in-store inventory data: later collection, based on your local stock data
- Pickup later with product data: later collection, based on your product data
Pickup is optional[6]. Skip it if you don’t offer click and collect.
Watch out
From 30 September 2026, pickup cost is required in the UK, EU and EFTA countries when pickup is enabled and pickup costs apply online[5]. If you charge for collection online, plan to include that cost.
The setup path in Merchant Center
The Google Ads Help guide to implementing local inventory ads and free local listings lays out the route[6]. In Merchant Center, go to Settings > Add-ons, find your add-ons card, choose Go to, then Add country. From there you work through these stages:
- Stores
- Availability
- Product page experience
- Pickup (optional)
- Inventory
- Verification
The verification stage asks for an impressum (a legal business notice) only for Germany, Austria and Switzerland[6]. Local inventory ads also need a Google Ads account[6]. You add each country yourself through Add country, and the policies still apply[2].
When something doesn’t show
Check these in order. First, confirm the Business Profile link is active. Second, check that the store codes match exactly. Third, confirm the product ids in your local data exist in your main feed. Fourth, check the data source for any issues Merchant Center reports. Work through them one at a time rather than re-uploading everything at once.
Local inventory is one part of a wider Merchant Center setup, and the rest is covered in our overview at https://oxfordimpulse.com/google-merchant-center/.
FAQs
What is local inventory in Google Merchant Center?
It’s per-store stock data you send to Merchant Center so Google can show your in-store products to nearby shoppers. It supports both free local listings and local inventory ads[1].
Are free local listings really free?
Are local inventory ads free?
Do you need a physical shop?
Yes. Google’s policies require a local brick and mortar location that customers can visit[2]. Online-only sellers without such a location don’t meet that requirement.
How do you link Business Profile to Merchant Center?
Go to Settings > Access and services > Apps and services > Google Business Profile > Add service. You must be a super admin to do it[3].
What is a store code?
What data does each store row need?
What are the availability values?
How can you upload local inventory data?
You can use a file upload, the Merchant API, automatic reading of your online shop or a linked local data provider. The data goes in as a supplemental source under Data sources[4].
Sources
- Google Merchant Center Help: Local inventory ads and free local listings overview support.google.com
- Google Merchant Center Help: Local inventory ads and free local product listings policies support.google.com
- Google Merchant Center Help: Add stores to Merchant Center support.google.com
- Google Merchant Center Help: How to upload your local inventory data to Merchant Center support.google.com
- Google Merchant Center Help: Local inventory data specification support.google.com
- Google Ads Help: Implement local inventory ads and free local listings support.google.com
