GCP – Deliver intuitive shopping experiences with Conversational Commerce agent

Consumer search behavior is shifting, with users now entering longer, more complex questions into search bars in pursuit of more relevant results. For instance, instead of a simple “best kids snacks,” queries have evolved to “What are some nutritious snack options for a 7-year-old’s birthday party?” 

However, many digital platforms have yet to adapt to this new era of discovery, leaving shoppers frustrated as they find themselves sifting through extensive catalogs and manually applying filters. This results in quick abandonment and lost transactions, including an estimated annual global loss of $2 trillion.

We are excited to announce the general availability of Google Cloud’s Conversational Commerce agent designed to engage shoppers in natural, human-like conversations to guide them from initial intent to a completed purchase. Companies like Albertsons Cos., who was a marquee collaborator on this product and is using Conversational Commerce agent within their Ask AI tool, are already seeing an impact. Early results show customers using Ask AI often add one or more additional items to their cart, uncovering products they might not have found otherwise. 

You can access Conversational Commerce agent today in the Vertex AI console.

Introducing the next generation of retail experiences 

Go beyond traditional keyword search to deliver a personalized and streamlined shopping experience to drive revenue. Conversational Commerce agent integrates easily into your website and applications, guiding customers from discovery to purchase.

Conversational Commerce agent turns e-commerce challenges into opportunities through a more intuitive shopping experience: 

• Turn your search into a sales associate: Unlike generic chatbots, our agent is built to sell. Its intelligent intent classifier understands how your customers are shopping and tailors their experience. Just browsing? Guide them with personalized, conversational search that inspires them to find—and buy—items they wouldn’t have found otherwise. Know exactly what they want? The agent defaults to traditional search results for simple queries.

• Drive revenue with natural conversation: Our agent leverages the power of Gemini to understand complex and ambiguous requests, suggest relevant products from your catalog, answer questions on product details, and even provide helpful details such as store hours. 

• Re-engage returning shoppers: The agent retains context across site interactions and devices. This allows returning customers to pick up exactly where they left off, creating a simplified journey that reduces friction and guides them back to their cart.

• Safety and responsibility built-in: You have complete control to boost, bury, or restrict products and categories from conversations. There are also safety controls in place, ensuring all interactions are helpful and brand-appropriate.

We believe our ability to provide transformative business impact for e-commerce is affirmed by our recent positioning as a Leader in the 2025 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Search and Product Discovery.

Albertsons Cos. is leading the way in AI-powered product discovery

Albertsons Cos., is redefining how customers discover, plan and shop for groceries with Conversational Commerce agent. When Albertsons Cos. customers interacted with the Ask AI platform, more than 85% of conversations started with open-ended or exploratory questions demonstrating the need for personalized guidance.  

“At Albertsons Cos., we are focused on giving our customers the best experience possible for when and how they choose to shop,” said Jill Pavlovich, SVP, Digital Customer Experience for Albertsons Cos. “By collaborating with Google Cloud to bring Conversational Commerce agent to market, we are delivering a more personalized interaction to help make our customers’ lives easier. Now they can digitally shop across aisles, plan quick meal ideas, discover new products, and even get recommendations for unexpected items that pair well together.”

The Ask AI tool is accessible now via the search bar in all Albertsons Cos. banner apps, to help customers build smarter, faster baskets through simplified product discovery, personalized recommendations and a more intuitive shopping experience.

Get started

Conversational Commerce agent guides customers to purchase, is optimized for revenue-per-visitor, and is available 24/7. Built on Vertex AI, onboarding is quick and easy, requiring minimal development effort.

To get started with Vertex AI today, contact sales.

^{Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Search and Product Discovery – Mike Lowndes, Noam Dorros, Sandy Shen, Aditya Vasudevan, June 24, 2025}

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