Kroger, Papa Johns Test Gemini AI Agents for Retail

Google Cloud introduced Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience, a platform designed to help retailers deploy artificial intelligence (AI) agents that can support shopping, ordering and customer service across digital channels.

Announced at the National Retail Federation conference in New York, the launch included early deployments by Kroger and Papa Johns, both of which are integrating the technology into their existing consumer-facing systems.

The rollout comes as retailers experiment with generative AI that can move beyond answering questions to completing tasks such as building carts, placing orders and resolving service issues. Rather than relying on consumer-facing AI products to mediate those interactions, companies are embedding AI agents inside their own apps, websites and contact centers, keeping execution within brand-controlled environments. That model differs from Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol, which shifts transactions into Google-owned surfaces by allowing purchases to be completed directly within its AI products, as reported by PYMNTS.

Google Cloud said Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience allows businesses to deploy configurable agents that maintain context across channels including mobile apps, websites, kiosks and voice systems. The agents are designed to handle product discovery, ordering, and post-purchase support while operating under enterprise-defined rules and consent requirements. Google described the platform as infrastructure that connects customer interactions without redirecting users away from retailer-owned surfaces.

Kroger said it is expanding its use of Google Cloud’s generative AI tools to power customer-facing shopping and meal-planning assistants. The grocer plans to roll out the assistants nationally, enabling customers to plan meals, generate shopping lists, compare products, and add items to carts using natural language prompts. The tools operate within Kroger’s digital ecosystem and are intended to support both customers and associates by reducing friction in routine shopping tasks.

The grocery chain also plans to use Google Cloud’s agent development tools to analyze customer interactions and streamline issue resolution across digital and in-store channels. Kroger executives said the technology is aimed at simplifying complex, multistep customer journeys while preserving control over pricing, promotions and fulfillment.

Papa Johns is applying a similar approach in food ordering, becoming the first restaurant brand to deploy Google Cloud’s omnichannel AI food-ordering agent across its mobile apps, websites, phone systems, kiosks, and in-car interfaces.

Google Cloud executive Carrie Tharp said the rollout is intended to move ordering beyond basic chatbot interactions toward a continuous experience that follows customers across channels. The agent supports both voice and text interactions and can handle tasks such as group orders and promotional offers, while remaining integrated with Papa Johns’ existing ordering and fulfillment systems.