In the latest developments in the retail industry, Walmart and Google have announced an exciting collaboration, allowing consumers to more conveniently purchase products from Walmart and its Sam's Club stores through Google's artificial intelligence assistant, Gemini. This announcement was first revealed at the National Retail Federation Big Show in New York's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, where John Furner, who is set to become Walmart's next CEO, and Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google, attended this significant moment together.
Although the two CEOs did not disclose specific details about the launch time or financial aspects of the new feature, Walmart stated that the service will be launched first in the United States and then gradually expanded to global markets. As more consumers begin to rely on artificial intelligence chatbots to save shopping time and gain inspiration, this partnership represents a proactive effort by Walmart to meet market demands.
As early as October last year, Walmart had already partnered with OpenAI, a competitor of Gemini, to introduce an "Instant Checkout" feature, allowing consumers to shop directly within the chatbot interface without switching to other pages. At the same time, Walmart also launched an intelligent assistant called "Sparky" within its own app, aiming to enhance user experience.
Furner said at the event that the shift from traditional web searches to AI-powered shopping marks a major transformation in the retail industry. He emphasized that Walmart hopes to "shorten the distance between 'wanting' and 'owning' for consumers," viewing it as rewriting the rules of the retail industry. Pichai referred to this moment as having "transformative significance" for the widespread application of artificial intelligence.
Meanwhile, David Gueguen, CEO of Walmart's e-commerce business in the United States, also stated that the use of intelligent assistants will help consumers find the products they need earlier and cover more shopping scenarios. As consumer shopping habits change, Walmart is actively adjusting its digital strategy to adapt to new market demands.
In addition, Walmart's leadership has repeatedly mentioned the impact of artificial intelligence on the labor market, especially as the largest private employer in the United States, these views have attracted widespread attention. The current CEO, Doug McMillon, who is about to step down, pointed out that artificial intelligence will inevitably change the nature of every job.
