Macy’s AI Chatbot Quadruples Customer Spending

An artificial intelligence (AI)-powered shopping assistant that was launched by Macy’s on Monday (March 23) has most often been used by customers to suggest products for completing an outfit and to see what items might look like on the customer, Bloomberg reported Thursday (March 26).

These “complete the look” and virtual try-on features were quickly adopted by users of the Ask Macy’s chatbot that is now available on the retailer’s app and other digital platforms, Max Magni, chief customer and digital officer at Macy’s Inc., told Bloomberg in an interview.

The retailer has also found that customers who use Ask Macy’s have spent 4.75 times more than those who don’t, according to the report.

Ask Macy’s is powered by Google’s Gemini, the report said.

During testing of Ask Macy’s before Monday’s comprehensive launch, the retailer made adjustments to ensure that the shopping assistant offers up top brands, takes into account the different products that might be wanted by customers in states with different climates, and a maintains a conversational tone, the report said.

“The machine continues to learn,” Magni said, per the report.

According to information provided on the retailer’s website when tapping the Ask Macy’s button, the AI shopping assistant can suggest products based on details supplied by the customer such as budget, occasion, color, style and size.

It invites customers to tell Ask Macy’s what they’re looking for “like you would a store colleague.”

Suggested queries include “I need shoes for a special occasion,” “Help me find a gift” and “I’m looking to refresh my bedroom.”

PYMNTS reported March 18 that Macy’s returned to comparable sales growth in fiscal 2025 after years of contracts.

During an earnings call, the retailer attributed this improvement in part to its deployment of technology.

“I believe Macy’s Inc. has significant, underappreciated capabilities in areas such as data science, AI and technology, and our Macy’s ecosystem is a fundamental strength,” Macy’s Inc. Chief Financial Officer Tom Edwards said during the call.

The company has added more than 35 internal AI use cases spanning supply chain, merchandising, marketing and call centers, as well as customer-facing and omnichannel functions, Edwards said.