Google announced Thursday that Gmail is introducing a dedicated Purchases tab to help users manage package deliveries more easily. The tab will bring together all purchase-related emails — from upcoming shipments to older order confirmations — in one central place.
The update builds on Gmail’s package-tracking feature introduced in 2022, which already highlighted deliveries expected within 24 hours at the top of inboxes. The new tab, however, expands the view by consolidating all shopping information under a single dashboard.
Google noted that the tool could prove especially useful during the holiday season. According to PwC’s 2025 holiday outlook, nearly 40% of holiday gift spending is expected to occur between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday. With more online orders flooding inboxes, Gmail’s Purchases tab aims to simplify tracking during the busiest shopping days of the year.
Other Gmail updates
In addition to Purchases, Gmail is also updating its Promotions category. Users will soon be able to sort promotional emails by “most relevant,” making it easier to spot deals from favored brands. Gmail will also proactively nudge users about upcoming sales and limited-time offers. These changes are expected to roll out in the coming weeks on mobile for personal Google accounts.
The updates follow Gmail’s recent addition of a subscription management feature, which organizes all subscription emails in one place and makes it easier to unsubscribe from unwanted mailing lists.
Author’s Opinion
While Gmail’s Purchases tab will make holiday shopping smoother for many, it also nudges email further into e-commerce territory. The shift raises a question: is Gmail evolving into a personal shopping assistant rather than just a communication tool? For users who prefer a clean inbox, the growing mix of promotions, nudges, and purchase alerts could feel overwhelming, even if it does add convenience for heavy online shoppers.
Featured image credit: Solen Feyissa via Unsplash
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