Google says the visual era in AI is here, as the search engine offers capabilities that go eye-to-AI for shoppers.

At Google’s I/O conference on Tuesday, the search giant said it will now offer a range of visual results in AI Mode, its AI-powered search tool that handles conversational queries and follow-up questions.

The upgrade is powered by Google’s new visual search fan-out technique, which combines Google’s visual understanding with Gemini 2.5’s advanced multimodal capabilities. Simply put, the fan-out technique analyzes image details picking up on background objects to grasp the full context of a user’s question and deliver relevant results.

For platforms like Google, visual search becomes a strategic next step as referral traffic from AI sources like ChatGPT to retailer websites surges. At the same time, AI tools are evolving into personal stylists that blend context, preferences, and product recommendations into seamless conversations.

Keep reading here.—VC

More than half (54%) of Gen Z consumers and 44% of millennials choose secondhand products over new ones most of the time, according to a new report from OfferUp, the local resale marketplace.

The report found that among Americans of all ages, there’s less reason than ever to not be loud and proud about a thrift score, with 70% reporting that the stigma associated with buying resale has diminished in the last year.

It also has been a banner year for both buyers and sellers to get their wings, with 19% of respondents saying they purchased a preowned item for the first time and 22% saying they sold one for the first time.

Keep reading here.—AAN

On his latest album, Justin Bieber kicks off a song about his wife, Hailey Bieber, referencing her “iPhone case” with “lip gloss on it.”

To many, including her husband, Bieber’s brand Rhode Skin has become known as much for its products as the cases that hold and display them. In addition to $38 iPhone cases, Rhode has created a mirror holder for its Glazing Mist and a gold chain to display its Peptide Lip Tint, which was met with mixed reactions this summer.

Like the holders or not, Alex Center, founder of design and branding company Center, told us last year after the Rhode Lip Case was first released that he expected more brands to begin selling product accessories or product holsters as a form of marketing.

Keep reading here on Marketing Brew.—KH

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