Business
Bunnings Launches AI “Buddy” with Google for Aussie Shoppers
Bunnings has now launched a new AI-powered shopping assistant thanks to a partnership with Google Cloud. The tool, powered by Google’s cutting-edge Gemini AI and developed to transform the DIY experience, helps customers with renovation projects, generate accurate shopping lists and source products in-store. We aim to minimise forgotten items left behind and allow consumers ease of home improvement with the added security of true expert advice. The partnership also represents an advanced step in Wesfarmers’ digital strategy, introducing sophisticated agentic technology into hardware stores nationwide to help families save time and money on weekend projects.
Bunnings has partnered with Google for an AI shopping assistant. This “digital buddy” is meant to help Australians plan their do-it-yourself projects, locate the tools they need, and even find step-by-step instructions as people are actually in the thick of a home renovation.
Key Highlights
- Bunnings is using Google’s cutting-edge AI (Gemini) to find shortcuts in its new shopping assistant.
- The “buddy” helps you generate project shopping lists from a quick photo or description.
- Wesfarmers, the owner of Bunnings, has confirmed the deal as part of a broader push to harness AI across its 55,000-strong workforce.
- The AI is available to shoppers through the Bunnings app or Google Search.
A New Era of Working on Projects
Forget walking up and down hardware aisles searching for what you need; Bunnings is launching an AI assistant powered by Google. This tool is like a digital expert in your pocket, ready to answer questions such as “How much paint do I need for a 4x4 room?” or, “What tools will I need to build a deck?” Using Google’s new agentic AI technology, the assistant doesn’t just provide links to things; it actually assists you in planning out your entire project from beginning to end.
For many Australians, this is the hardest part of a DIY project, working out precisely what it is that needs to be purchased. Now shopping buddy AI will quickly identify what users need before checking them in stock at the local warehouse. That will save shoppers hours spent walking the aisles hunting for specific pieces, it is hoped.
Solving the Forgotten Item Problem
When you place a big-ticket item in your digital basket, say, a new vanity or a fence panel, the AI will, much like the front-row shopper at Costco with the clipboard, alert you to essential extras you’re going to need, whether that be waterproof sealant or drill bits of specific widths.
The smart list feature is part of a wider partnership between Bunnings’ parent company, Wesfarmers and Google Cloud. They are partnering to make shopping seem more like an experience and less like a task. This means that every time a customer leaves the store, they are taking everything they need to correctly complete the job on the first attempt.
A Safe Start: Learning From Past Mistakes
Both Bunnings and Google have worked hard to ensure the AI provides safe advice. Last year, an earlier version of the chatbot came under fire for offering a customer incorrect, and potentially dangerous, advice on electrical wiring. Safety guardrails in the new AI keep it from providing specific instructions for illegal or high-risk tasks that need to be performed by a licensed professional, like plumbing or electrical work.
Instead, if a customer asks anything dangerous then the AI will recommend booking a local professional using Bunnings’ Installation Services or In-Home programs. This means that while the AI can give a hand in painting and general gardening, it won’t encourage people to take risks that could make them more prone to injury or legal trouble.
The shopping buddy launch is only the start of Bunnings’ digital evolution. The company is also exploring how AI could enable agentic checkout, which would let shoppers pay directly by having a conversation with the AI, omitting traditional registers altogether. The technology is currently being tested around the world and could hit Australian shores by 2027. For now, it’s about helping Australians more confidently back into their gardens and workshops.
FAQs
- How do I interact with the Bunnings AI buddy?
You can access it through the official Bunnings app or via Google Search on your phone.
- Does it know what’s available at my nearby store?
Yes, this AI has access to the livestock levels from every Bunnings store in Australia.
- Is my data safe when I use the AI?
Bunnings says they encrypt at very high levels and comply with Australian privacy laws, so your pictures of projects and lists stored with them are safe.
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