Walmart and Google Team Up to Revolutionize Shopping

Walmart and Google have joined forces to bring a new shopping experience to customers. This collaboration will allow shoppers to use Google's AI assistant, Gemini, to find and purchase products from Walmart and Sam's Club. The announcement was made by Walmart's incoming CEO John Furner and Google's CEO Sundar Pichai at the National Retail Federation's Big Show in New York City. The exact launch date and financial details of the deal were not disclosed. However, the new feature will first be available in the U. S. before expanding globally. This move is part of Walmart's strategy to keep up with the growing trend of customers using AI chatbots for shopping. Earlier, Walmart had partnered with OpenAI's ChatGPT to introduce "Instant Checkout, " a feature that allows customers to buy items without leaving the chatbot. This feature is also available with other retailers like Etsy and Shopify merchants.Walmart already has its own AI chatbot, Sparky, which is a yellow smiley-faced assistant on its app. Furner emphasized that the shift from traditional search to AI-led commerce is a significant evolution in retail. He stated that Walmart is not just adapting to this change but driving it. Pichai described the adoption of AI as a transformative moment for Google. For Walmart, the changing shopping habits of customers, such as starting searches in AI chatbots instead of the retailer's own app or website, are reshaping its digital strategy. David Guggina, Walmart U. S. 's chief ecommerce officer, mentioned that agentic AI helps meet customers earlier in their shopping journey and in more places. He believes that over time, these AI agents will make it easier for customers to find what they need. Walmart leaders have also discussed how AI will impact the workforce and employees' roles. This is particularly significant as Walmart is the largest private employer in the U. S.