NEW YORK - Walmart on Sunday debuted plans for a new consumer experience directly in Google’s AI chatbot Gemini, adding to its list of AI initiatives with external partners.
The plan will allow Gemini users to discover Walmart and Sam’s Club merchandise when conducting research, with Gemini automatically including in-store and online products in response to queries when relevant. If Gemini users decide they want to buy a product, the transactions are then completed within Walmart’s checkout environment.
The experience will first launch within Gemini in the U.S., then internationally.
Incoming Walmart CEO John Furner spoke alongside Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai about the development at The National Retail Federation's 2026 Big Show in New York City on Sunday
Pichai also revealed a new suite of agentic AI tools for retailers through Gemini. The tech company launched its Universal Commerce Protocol, an open standard for agentic commerce meant to be used across the shopping journey from discovery to decision.
Google has seen a significant year over year increase in the usage of its AI by retailers, Pichai noted. “We want to use our full stack approach to help you shape this next chapter of retail,” Pichai said.
The tech advancements are fitting for Furner’s upcoming promotion, given current CEO Doug McMillon previously touted his confidence that Furner can lead the company through an AI-driven transformation.
As Furner sees it, the retailer is willing to change just about anything to adapt.
“What won't change … is our purpose, our values, the way we think about people leading,” Furner told the audience.“But everything else we are willing to change — what we sell, how we interact with customers, with our associates.”
Furner currently serves as president and CEO for Walmart’s U.S. business and previously worked in the same role for Sam’s Club U.S. The executive began his career at the mass retailer as a store associate in Bentonville, Arkansas.
“Retail was different,” Furner noted when reflecting on the start of his Walmart career 33 years ago. “In 1993, there was a playbook on how it worked and things seemed familiar at that time, but over the years, and just this last few years, we're in a different period.”
For Walmart right now, that means rewriting the retail playbook amid broader AI adoption.
The company developed AI-powered tools on its own — such as the customer facing shopping assistant Sparky or its supplier and marketplace seller agent Marty — and partnered with external platforms like OpenAI to reach customers on popular chatbots.
