JOHANNESBURG, July 2 (Reuters) - South African retailer Pick n Pay on Thursday launched an artificial intelligence-powered shopping assistant that helps customers build grocery orders using voice, text or photos instead of searching for products manually.
The move is part of a drive by South Africa's second-biggest retailer by revenue to strengthen its online offering as it pursues a turnaround after years of weak trading and market share losses to larger rival Shoprite.
Shoprite's Checkers Sixty60 platform dominates South Africa's fast-growing on-demand grocery market, pushing rivals to invest heavily in digital tools and services.
Retailers around the world are experimenting with generative AI to personalise recommendations, improve search functions and simplify online shopping as advances in large language models enable more natural interactions with consumers.
Powered by Google's Gemini AI models, the assistant will be rolled out from July 6, the company said.
Known as "Penny", the assistant allows shoppers to order groceries conversationally in multiple languages using voice notes, text prompts or images, including photographs of handwritten shopping lists, recipes or products they want to buy.
It can also suggest recipes, recommend ingredient substitutions, help with meal planning and budget-conscious shopping, and generate personalised product recommendations.
"On-demand delivery changed how people shop. AI is now changing how they order," Enrico Ferigolli, omnichannel retail executive at Pick n Pay told reporters at the launch event.
"Consumers no longer just want speed, they want shopping apps to think for them ... By helping customers, our sales will grow," he added.
Ferigolli said more AI-powered features would be introduced in the coming months.
Earlier this year, Shoprite stepped up its investment in the technology by launching an AI assistant that recommends replenishment purchases, new products and personalised deals.
(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla. Editing by Mark Potter)
