Google and Walmart have launched a partnership integrating Gemini AI to let customers search and buy products from Walmart and Sam’s Club directly in the chatbot. The move promises smoother transactions via everyday queries, launching first in the U.S. before going global.
Walmart’s incoming CEO John Furner and Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the deal at the National Retail Federation’s Big Show in New York City’s Javits Centre. It taps Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol for items like apparel, groceries and electronics.
The retailer is adapting to shoppers using AI chatbots to save time or find inspiration. This builds on an October tie-up with OpenAI’s ChatGPT for “Instant Checkout,” now live alongside partners like Etsy and Shopify brands including Skims, Vuori and Spanx. Walmart’s app-based AI, Sparky, adds further support.
“The transition from traditional web or app search to agent-led commerce represents the next great evolution in retail,” Furner said in a news release. “We aren’t just watching the shift; we are driving it.”
Furner, taking over in February, said Walmart is “rewriting the retail playbook” to “close the gap between I want it and I have it.” Pichai called AI adoption “transformative,” while e-commerce chief David Guggina said agentic AI meets customers earlier. “Over time, these agents will make it easier for customers to find what they need, want and love,” he added.
As America’s top private employer, Walmart leaders highlight AI’s job impacts. Outgoing CEO Doug McMillon noted that “it’s very clear that AI is going to change literally every job.”