Local Inventory Ads for Retail

E-Commerce is great. But 80% of retail sales still happen offline. The bridge between Online and Offline is Local Inventory Ads (LIA). When a user searches "Buy Hammer," you don't just show them a hammer. You show them: "In Stock at Home Depot (1.2 miles away)."

How it Works

1. Feed 1 (Main): Your standard product catalog (price, description, image).
2. Feed 2 (Inventory): A specific feed that matches Store Codes to Product IDs and Stock Levels.
3. Bing Maps: Connects your Store Codes to physical addresses.

Why use Microsoft LIA?

• Curbside Pickup: You can highlight "Curbside Pickup" directly in the ad unit.
• The "Near Me" Intent: Searces for "Store near me" have grown 200% YOY. LIA captures this.
• Cheaper Clicks: Competition for LIA on Bing is non-existent compared to Google.

Setup Steps

1. Enable "Local Inventory Ads" in Merchant Center Settings.
2. Upload your Local Inventory Feed.
3. Create a Shopping Campaign.
4. Filter for "Channel: Local Stores."

Summary

If you have physical locations, standard Shopping ads are a waste. Give the user instant gratification. Tell them they can have it today.