Walmart partners with Google Gemini on shopping tool
A Walmart sign hangs on the exterior of the store in Hollywood, Florida, on November 20, 2025.
Joe Raedle | Getty Images
Walmart And Google Shoppers will soon be able to more easily discover and purchase products from retail giant and warehouse club Sam’s Club using Google’s artificial intelligence assistant Gemini, the company said on Sunday.
New Walmart CEO John Furner and Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the companies coming together on stage at the National Retail Federation’s Big Show, an annual industry conference held at the Javits Center in New York City.
The CEOs did not say when the new feature would be released or share financial terms. The company said the experience will start in the US first and then expand internationally.
With the Google deal, Walmart is stepping up its effort to keep up with customers using AI chatbots to save time or get inspired. In October, Walmart announced a deal with Gemini rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT that allows shoppers to make purchases with “Instant Checkout,” a feature that allows shoppers to purchase an item without leaving the AI chatbot. OpenAI recently launched the feature at Walmart and has Instant Payment deals with other retailers as well. Etsy and a few Shopify Merchants like Skims, Vuori, and Spanx.
Walmart also has its own AI chatbot on its app called Sparky, an assistant with a yellow smiley face.
“The shift from traditional web or app search to agent-led commerce represents the next big evolution in retail,” Furner said in a news release. “We don’t just watch the shift, we drive it.”
Furner, who will take over Walmart’s top job on Feb. 1, said on stage that Walmart is “rewriting the retail playbook” and trying to “close the gap between I want it and I have it” with artificial intelligence.
Pichai said Google was excited to work with Walmart and called the adoption of artificial intelligence a “transformative” moment.
According to Walmart, the evolution of customers’ shopping habits — such as searches starting in an AI chatbot rather than on its own app or website — is reshaping the retailer’s digital strategy. David Guggina, chief e-commerce officer for Walmart U.S., said in a statement that agency AI “helps us meet customers earlier and in more places in their shopping journey.”
“Over time, these agents will make it easier for customers to find what they need, want and love,” he said.
Walmart leaders are also vocal about how AI will transform the workforce and employee roles; these comments carry additional weight because the company is the largest private employer in the U.S.
Retiring Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, who will be succeeded by Furner, said of the technology’s far-reaching impact: “It’s clear that Artificial intelligence will literally change every business.”
