The browser-based assistant is designed to shorten the typical 46-minute grocery trip into as little as four minutes by planning meals, building carts and executing complete end-to-end tasks for customers. Available within each banner’s Meals Hub — including Safeway AI, Vons AI and Jewel-Osco AI — the tool builds on the Ask AI feature the company rolled out earlier this year.
“We are laser-focused on using AI as part of our strategy to meet customers when and how they choose to shop, ultimately driving customer growth and engagement through digital connection,” Jill Pavlovich, senior vice president, Digital Customer Experience for Albertsons Cos, said in a statement.
Albertsons says the new assistant leverages OpenAI models and a multi-agent architecture to support dynamic, context-aware conversations. The system can generate weekly meal plans, de-duplicate ingredients across recipes and add items directly to the cart. It also supports uploads of handwritten lists, automatically mapping each entry to personalized product suggestions.
Additional task automations include “Rapid Restock” for routine baskets, “Fridge Cleaner” recipe suggestions based on on-hand items, instant imports from online recipes or images, and curated recommendations for events or holidays. According to the company, the ability to incorporate real-time shopper context — such as dietary needs, household size or planned leftovers — enables more precise personalization and strengthens future recommendation cycles tied to deals and coupons.
Mobile app integration is slated for early 2026, alongside more capabilities such as budget optimization, in-store aisle navigation and voice interaction. Albertsons also signaled that its multi-agent design will support compatibility with off-platform agents, enabling future interoperability with third-party chat applications.
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AI shopping assistants are a key area of innovation in retail right now. Companies including Pinterest, Target and Walmart are currently expanding their AI assistant capabilities. This rush to adapt is perhaps due to shopping AI’s proven popularity. Amazon recently shared that this year, usage of its AI shopping assistant Rufus rose 149%. PYMNTS Intelligence research from last year revealed that, already, 32% of consumers had used GenAI for shopping. Agentic AI is the next frontier, as the agentic commerce market is expected to grow to $1.7 trillion by 2030.
