![\"Bunnings](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/bunnings-and-mike-schneider_5823.png\")
Bunnings boss Michael Schneider said customers were increasingly searching for products directly through generative AI. \u00b7 Source: Getty\/Bunnings <\/p>\n Bunnings boss Michael Schneider said customers were increasingly searching for products directly through generative AI. \u00b7 Source: Getty\/Bunnings <\/p>\n
Bunnings<\/a> will become one of the first retailers in Australia to allow customers to buy products directly through Google AI mode. Generative AI<\/a> is rapidly transforming the Australian retail landscape, with shoppers increasingly discovering and comparing items using the technology.<\/p>\n Bunnings has announced it will launch a shoppable range through Google AI mode. This will allow customers to research, browse and purchase products from the hardware giant<\/a> directly through AI mode across Google Search, Chrome and the Google app.<\/p>\n Bunnings Chief Information Officer, Genevieve Elliott, told Yahoo Finance the move would help save customers time and make it easier to find products.<\/p>\n RELATED<\/p>\n “We know our customers want options and convenience, and they’re increasingly using tech tools to research and plan their projects,” she said.<\/p>\n “Our partnership with Google is helping us develop and introduce AI in practical ways that save time for customers and makes it easier for them to find the right products faster, while complementing the great advice and service our team provides in store.”<\/p>\n Google will announce the launch of their Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP) AI-powered checkout in Australia at its Marketing Live event today.<\/p>\n Do you have a story to share? Contact tamika.seeto@yahooinc.com<\/a><\/p>\n Bunnings managing director Michael Schneider said customers were increasingly searching for products directly through generative AI platforms<\/a>.<\/p>\n “In the next two weeks we will be among the first retailers in Australia to launch a shoppable range through Google AI Mode,” Schneider said at a recent Wesfarmers strategy briefing day.<\/p>\n “Customers will be able to research products, select recommended items from our catalogue, and complete transactions directly through AI Mode across Google search, Chrome and the Google app.”<\/p>\n Google AI Mode surpassed one billion monthly users in May, just one year after it launched, with queries more than doubling every quarter since launch.<\/p>\n Kogan, The Iconic, Adore Beauty also jump on board <\/p>\n Australia is the first market in the APAC region to launch Google\u2019s UCP. Along with Bunnings, retailers including Adore Beauty, Kogan Group, Petbarn and The Iconic will also be jumping on board.<\/p>\n Head of Performance Solutions at Google Australia and New Zealand, Adrian Vallelonga, said the universal cart worked across merchants and Google products.<\/p>\n \u201cSoon you\u2019ll be able to add things to your cart while you\u2019re browsing search, chatting with Gemini, watching YouTube or even reading your Gmail,\u201d Vallelonga said.<\/p>\n \u201cAs soon as you add a product to the cart, it goes to work for you, tracking pricing changes, and alerting you to when things come back in stock. And when you\u2019re ready, you can buy directly on Google or take your cart to the merchant site.<\/p>\n \u201cIt runs on our Gemini models so your cart gets even smarter as the models improve.\u201d<\/p>\n Retailers launch AI tools <\/p>\n The announcement comes after Bunnings launched its own AI agentic shopping tool<\/a> ‘Buddy’ for customers in April in collaboration with Google Cloud.<\/p>\n “Buddy is already delivering strong engagement outcomes including more than doubling online conversion rates and increasing basket size through projects-based shopping behaviour,” Schneider said.<\/p>\n “Buddy helps our customers take on DIY projects with confidence by bringing expert advice into the home through a more personalised experience across browsing, planning and purchasing online.”<\/p>\n Fellow Wesfarmers-owned brand Kmart also introduced its own AI tool ‘Joy’<\/a> last month, which allows customers to try on outfits virtually and see what items look like in their own space.<\/p>\n Wesfarmers, who also owns brands like Officeworks and Priceline, struck multi-year partnerships<\/a> with tech giants Google and Microsoft to embed AI across its businesses in February.<\/p>\n Other retailers have other flagged plans for their own AI tools, with Woolworths set to incorporate agentic AI into its ‘Olive’ chatbot later this year through a partnership with Google.<\/p>\n Coles has a deal with OpenAI and has said it is exploring how AI capabilities could reshape the shopping experience.<\/p>\n Get the latest Yahoo Finance news – follow us on Facebook<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here’s an example of how shopping works through Google AI Mode. \u00b7 Source: Bunnings <\/p>\n
Bunnings launched its AI-powered shopping tool, Buddy, in April and has already seen higher conversion rates and basket sizes. \u00b7 Source: Bunnings <\/p>\n