Google (GOOG) (GOOGL) said Sunday it is broadening the shopping capabilities of its Gemini AI chatbot through partnerships with major retailers including Walmart (WMT), Shopify (SHOP) and Wayfair (W), positioning the app as both a shopping assistant and a transactional platform.
Under the expansion, Gemini will offer instant checkout for certain merchants, allowing users to complete purchases through various payment providers without leaving the chat interface used to discover products, Walmart and Google said.
The announcement coincided with the opening day of the National Retail Federation’s annual convention in New York, where artificial intelligence and its influence on consumer shopping behavior are expected to dominate discussion.
“The transition from traditional web or app search to agent-led commerce represents the next great evolution in retail,” John Furner, Walmart’s incoming president and CEO, said in a joint statement with Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichaei.
Google said Gemini’s shopping function will surface product recommendations directly from participating retailers when users ask for suggestions, such as what equipment to buy for a winter ski trip.
For Walmart customers who connect their Walmart (WMT) and Gemini accounts, the chatbot will tailor recommendations based on prior purchases. Items selected through Gemini can also be added directly to an existing Walmart or Sam’s Club online cart, according to the companies.
The move follows a similar partnership announced in October between Walmart (WMT) and OpenAI, which allows ChatGPT users to purchase most items available on Walmart’s website through an in-app checkout feature.
Google (GOOG) (GOOGL), OpenAI and Amazon (AMZN) are all competing to build AI-driven shopping tools that move users seamlessly from product discovery to purchase without redirecting them to separate retail websites. Competition between Google (GOOG) (GOOGL) and OpenAI has intensified in recent months as both companies roll out new commerce-focused features.
Ahead of the holiday season, OpenAI introduced its own instant checkout option within ChatGPT, enabling purchases from selected retailers and Etsy (ETSY) sellers directly inside the chatbot.
Salesforce (CRM) estimates that artificial intelligence influenced $272 billion, or roughly 20%, of global retail sales during the recent holiday shopping period, underscoring the growing role of AI in commerce.
Google said the enhanced shopping tools in Gemini will launch initially for U.S. users, with plans to expand availability to other countries later this year.