When I think about a “rich and engaging experience,” catalog shopping doesn’t pop into my mind, but that’s what Google (News - Alert) says will happen with the new free app it introduced last Tuesday for tablet devices.

Admittedly, if Google’s new app helps eliminate paper catalogs, that is a rich thing. Kathryn Swartz, who gave the new app “3 of 5 bars” said in her Appolicious review of Google Catalogs that it will “keep your mailbox mailer free” and stated that “the aim of Google’s latest app is to save the environment.” While I didn’t catch that in the Google announcement, it is a great benefit if it catches on.

And there’s no reason why it should not. Although, according to Bianca Bosker in the Huffington Post (News - Alert), Google previously introduced Google Catalogs in 2002 and eliminated it in 2009. Nevertheless, the new app offers digital versions of a lot of catalogs that Google says includes: “fashion and apparel, beauty, jewelry, home, kids and gifts.” Swartz cited “brands such as Dwell Studio, Anthropologie, Blue Nile, Urban Outfitters and Nordstrom,” while Jesse David Hollington in ilounge noted Bloomingdale’s, Crate and Barrel, Macy’s and Niemen Marcus?. There are, of course, many others which means there is a strong probability the app will catch on and fulfill the aim of doing something good for the environment.

Initially, the app will only be available for iPad use, not Google’s Android (News - Alert) OS. In addition, Bianca Bosker wrote that Google Catalogs business product manager Abigail Holtz intimated that “the app will eventually be integrated with Google’s Google+ social network,” although she said she didn’t offer any specific information about its integration with other Google products. Bosker did quote Holtz as saying, “There are a lot of ways this works with a lot of Google products, and I can imagine that it will be integrated with the shopping experience across Google products.”

Basically, Google Catalogs is designed for people who are not settled on what they want, and instead just want to look around, “window shop,” browse. Bosker quoted Google’s Holtz as saying, “"At its core, it’s a very simple app. It’s just about being inspired and finding things you didn’t know you’d love."

To that end, it lets users create collages of items they like and allows them to share them with others via e-mail, but not Twitter or Facebook (News - Alert). They can also tag items to get more product information and either buy online or have a store closest to their location recommended to them.

One caveat comes from Kathryn Schwartz’s review: “Although I liked Google Catalog’s overall experience, the app did crash a considerable amount during my tests.” So much for Google’s proclamation: “The bottom line is it makes catalog shopping more fun and more creative.”

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