Walmart Expands AI Push With Google Gemini Shopping Integration

Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) has announced a partnership with Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOGL) (NASDAQ:GOOG) Google Gemini, which will enable customers to easily discover and purchase products from its store and its warehouse club, Sam’s Club.

Retail Giants Roll Out AI Shopping Push

Walmart and Google unveiled the collaboration at the National Retail Federation’s Big Show, an annual industry conference in New York City on Sunday. The new feature will first launch in the U.S. before expanding internationally. The financial terms and the launch date were not disclosed.

Walmart’s incoming CEO, John Furner, and Google CEO Sundar Pichai made the announcement. This move is part of Walmart’s strategy to keep up with the increasing use of AI chatbots by customers to save time and seek inspiration.

Walmart had previously partnered with OpenAI’s ChatGPT in October to introduce “Instant Checkout,” allowing shoppers to make purchases without leaving the AI chatbot.

AI Becomes Retail's New Power Broker

The collaboration between Walmart and Google is a significant step in the retail industry’s adoption of AI technology. This development aligns with the broader trend of AI’s growing influence in retail.

AI had become the most influential middleman in retail, turbocharging Black Friday shopping and shaping consumer habits. Adobe estimates AI-driven traffic jumped 805% year over year, as tools like Amazon's Rufus and ChatGPT increasingly helped shoppers find the best deals.

Meanwhile, in another recent development, Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) had launched a suite of “agentic AI” tools aimed at automating various retail tasks across merchandising, marketing, store operations, and fulfillment, aiming to improve efficiency and shopper relevance.

Benzinga's Edge Rankings place Walmart in the 93rd percentile for quality and the 74th percentile for momentum, reflecting its strong performance in both areas. Check the detailed report here. 

Price Action: Over the past year, Walmart stock climbed 24.76%, as per data from Benzinga Pro. On Friday, it rose 1.29% to close at $114.53.

Photo courtesy: Framalicious via Shutterstock

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.