Quick Facts
- Macy’s ‘Ask Macy’s’ AI chatbot users spend 4.75 times more than customers who don’t use the tool
- The assistant launched March 23, 2026, powered by Google’s Gemini AI platform with virtual try-on features
- About 40% of top 20 U.S. retailers have rolled out AI-powered shopping assistants as the technology reshapes commerce
Macy’s launched its AI-powered shopping assistant with impressive early results. Users of the ‘Ask Macy’s’ chatbot spend 4.75 times more than customers who shop without it.
The retailer rolled out the tool March 23 after testing it with about half of its website visitors over several weeks. The assistant runs on Google’s Gemini AI platform and helps customers discover products, get personalized recommendations, and use virtual try-on features.
Popular Features Drive Engagement
‘Complete the look’ and virtual try-on functions quickly gained traction with users. The complete-the-look feature suggests matching accessories like shoes and belts. Virtual try-on lets shoppers preview how items might look on them.
Younger customers particularly embrace these features, according to the company.
Extensive Development Process
Getting the chatbot ready took months of internal testing. Thousands of Macy’s employees provided feedback on tone, functionality and practicality before launch.
Early versions had problems. The bot initially suggested dresses without featuring top brands and lacked location-based recommendations for weather-appropriate clothing. Employee feedback helped fix these issues.
The assistant’s tone also needed work. Early responses were cold and transactional, like ‘Here’s a T-shirt for a 10-year-old.’ Now it offers warmer suggestions: ‘Ten-year-olds can have so much fun with color – do you want a brighter or more muted color selection?’
Strategic Timing
The launch comes as Macy’s works on a turnaround after declining sales. The company reported net sales decreased 2.4% last year but returned to comparable sales growth of 1.5%. Macy’s expects $21.4 billion to $21.65 billion in net sales this year.
‘Every retailer is trying to figure it out one step at a time. This is anybody’s game. Nobody has cracked the code,’ said Max Magni, Chief Customer and Digital Officer. He described Ask Macy’s as focused on ‘curated discovery’ rather than search.
Industry-Wide AI Adoption
Macy’s joins a growing number of retailers using AI assistants. About 40% of the top 20 U.S. retailers by revenue have rolled out similar tools.
Retail analysts predict one-quarter of shoppers will use AI-powered chatbots when shopping in 2026. AI-driven U.S. e-commerce traffic grew 758% year over year between November 1 and December 1, according to Adobe’s 2025 Holiday Shopping report.
The timing is strategic. As generative AI tools become common, retailers risk losing customers to external AI services for product research and discovery. Deploying capable in-house assistants helps companies control the shopping journey from discovery to checkout.
