{"id":79140,"date":"2026-04-24T14:07:54","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T14:07:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dralysstore.com\/blog\/?p=79140"},"modified":"2026-04-24T14:07:54","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T14:07:54","slug":"google-helps-develop-ask-macys-ai-agent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dralysstore.com\/blog\/google-helps-develop-ask-macys-ai-agent\/","title":{"rendered":"Google helps develop ‘Ask Macy’s’ AI agent"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Google and Macy\u2019s have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) agent called \u201cAsk Macy\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

Using Google\u2019s Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience offering, the department store operator has launched a beta version of its chat interface, Macy\u2019s AI.<\/p>\n

The launch began with \u201ca small percentage of the [retail] site\u2019s users\u201d (which the companies did not disclose) and \u201cthousands\u201d of Macy\u2019s employees. Within a day, the companies said, Macy\u2019s scaled that up to half of its website users. A week later, it scaled up to 100%.<\/p>\n

Google and Macy\u2019s announced the agent on April 22, which they said was about five weeks after launching the joint project. They said Ask Macy\u2019s has been live on the Macys.com website for both desktop and mobile, as well as in the Macy\u2019s app for iPhone and Android, since late March.<\/p>\n

During beta testing, early data indicated that revenue per visit was about 4.75x higher among consumers who used Ask Macy\u2019s versus those who did not, according to the companies. They said that the data point highlights Ask Macy\u2019s \u201cpotential to drive revenue.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Google<\/p>\n

Google and Macy\u2019s show the \u201cAsk Macy\u2019s\u201d AI interface. | Image credit: Macy\u2019s and Google press release<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Macy\u2019s is 17th in the Top 2000 Database<\/a>. The database ranks North America\u2019s largest online retailers by their annual ecommerce sales and more.<\/p>\n

Google, Macy\u2019s develop AI agent, Ask Macy\u2019s<\/h2>\n

The companies framed the Ask Macy\u2019s tool as a way to make it easier for consumers to discover relevant products.<\/p>\n

The companies said they sought to replicate Macy\u2019s in-store shopping experience, which they called curated, visually organized and personalized. They called Ask Macy\u2019s \u201ca new digital shopping concierge and a major new leap forward in multimodal, agentic AI technology.\u201d<\/p>\n

Macy\u2019s has more than 2.5 million stock-keeping units (SKUs) in its product catalog. Because of how many options consumers have, Macy\u2019s said it \u201cknew it was crucial to solve the customer experience challenge while increasing sales and engagement.\u201d The companies said using agentic AI created an opportunity to upgrade the customer experience by offering a faster shopping flow.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to show how technology can remove friction and elevate retail shopping for our customers, to help them feel guided, understood, and confident,\u201d said Chad Westfall, senior vice president of technology product development and customer experience, in the announcement. \u201cWe\u2019re bringing the concept of hospitality to online customers at scale.\u201d<\/p>\n

Macy\u2019s helped make its AI responses \u201cwarmer and more helpful,\u201d according to the announcement.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor instance, instead of answering a request for recommendations with: \u2018Here\u2019s a T-shirt for a 10-year-old,\u2019 Ask Macy\u2019s now answers with something like: \u201910-year-olds can have so much fun with color \u2013 do you want a brighter or more muted color selection?’\u201d<\/p>\n

How long did it take to build the Ask Macy\u2019s AI tool?<\/h2>\n

The retailer and Google said they launched the Ask Macy\u2019s AI tool in four weeks.<\/p>\n

Macy\u2019s had worked for about six months on its own proprietary AI agent for its website, according to the announcement. The retailer then learned about Google\u2019s Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience, which was not available at the start of Macy\u2019s project.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe realized we needed to pivot immediately,\u201d Westfall said. \u201cThe pace of change and innovation in AI left no room to stand still, so we adapted. So, we frankly forwent some of our usual processes in order to go after this with all deliberate haste.\u201d<\/p>\n

Google and Macy\u2019s said the retailer set a launch date target of March 24, 2026. That was the same date as the retail industry\u2019s Shoptalk conference.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt that time, that was less than six weeks away, so the Macy\u2019s and Google Cloud teams sprang into action,\u201d according to the announcement. \u201cOn February 9, the assembled teams \u2014<\/span> dozens of people from both Macy\u2019s and Google Cloud \u2014<\/span> met for their first daily virtual standup meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n

How does the Ask Macy\u2019s AI agent work?<\/h2>\n

Google and Macy\u2019s said the AI agent is capable of handling text and images. Ask Macy\u2019s also has a virtual try-on feature, they said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf the customer uploads a photo, Ask Macy\u2019s can show them how what they\u2019re thinking of buying will look on them,\u201d according to the announcement. \u201cAnd it can even provide different backgrounds so they can see what it might look like at the office, in a restaurant, or trackside at the Kentucky Derby.\u201d<\/p>\n

The companies said Ask Macy\u2019s incorporates data from customer feedback and the product catalog. They indicated that \u201cin the near future\u201d Ask Macy\u2019s will be able to warn consumers if products run large or small and recommend sizes accordingly.<\/p>\n

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