Google Shopping was originally called Froogle when it launched in 2002.
Froogle was introduced as a product-search service that helped users find items sold by online retailers. Its name combined “Google” with “frugal,” suggesting that shoppers could compare products and prices before making a purchase.
The service was renamed Google Product Search in 2007. Google later changed the name again to Google Shopping in 2012. That transition also accompanied a shift in how product listings were submitted and displayed, with paid inclusion becoming a more important part of the model in several markets.
The changing names can cause confusion because all three names refer to stages of the same product-comparison service. Froogle was not a separate retailer competing with Amazon or eBay. It was primarily a search and comparison tool that directed shoppers to merchants’ websites.