A Walmart customer asked Sparky to plan a week of healthy, high protein meals. Within seconds, the assistant offered recipes and placed the ingredients into a basket that could be added with one tap. It also checked purchases made online and in stores, which kept products already at home off the list.
Walmart CEO John Furner shared the story during Thursday's earnings call. Use of Sparky has grown 70% over the past year, while customers who shop with it spend 40% more per order. Furner described what Walmart sees forming between the customer and the assistant: "It's building trust."
Lowe's is seeing a similar commercial effect. Mylow has answered more than 25 million questions from customers and associates. Online shoppers who use it convert at three times the rate of other customers, while online sales grew 15.7% during the quarter.
Albertsons reported a 10% lift in average order value when customers use conversational search. Its more complete assistant helps shoppers find recipes and ingredients that fit their dietary preferences, and average order value rises 26% for those users.
At Target, AI powered teacher and college wish lists helped customers plan for school. Conversion across its key back to school pages rose nearly 20% as the retailer added those lists and more personalized content.
An assistant earns more of the basket by carrying more of the customer's problem.
A shopper can describe the outcome they need and let the assistant organize the work required to reach it. The conversation can remember purchase history, account for personal constraints, and keep the task moving until the basket is ready.
That same conversation may begin outside the retailer's own site. Adobe measured AI referred visits to US retail sites converting 54% better than other traffic in May. Target said traffic arriving from external AI platforms is growing at more than 3.5 times the industry rate.
Customers reaching a company through an assistant have already started working through the decision. The quality of a brand's product information shapes whether the assistant can recommend it, while current availability determines whether the customer can keep moving.
AUGUST 2026 RETAIL UPDATES
Walmart and Lowe's August 2026 earnings calls · Target Q2 2026 results · Albertsons via The Wall Street Journal · Adobe Digital Insights
What to do this week.
Ask the major assistants to help buy what your company sells. Start with a customer need and leave your brand name out of the question. Follow the answer until you reach a purchase, application, quote, or meeting. Capture every place where the assistant lacks enough information to recommend you with confidence.
Choose one moment in your buying journey where customers tend to pause. Give an assistant enough context to carry that part of the decision, then measure what happens to completion rate and order value.
From the portfolio
Board of Innovation helped Walmart design and pilot an AI powered nutrition service that turns shopping data into personalized guidance. The experience gives Medicare Advantage patients tailored shopping lists, healthier recommendations, and additional spending power funded by their health insurer.
BOI is bringing leaders together for AUTONOMOUS on September 9 and 10 to examine how AI is changing the way companies create value. The summit is virtual, and I'll be there both days. Register at autonomoussummit.ai, then reach out so we can compare notes afterward.
What part of your customer's buying job could one conversation finish?
