Thailand supermarket chain Central Food Retail Company Limited has partnered with Google Cloud to launch an artificial intelligence (AI) shopping assistant.

Google Cloud said in a statement on Monday that the company has joined forces with Central Retail Digital and Google Cloud to develop and launch ‘Tops Chef Bot,’ a shopping assistant powered by generative AI (gen AI) to create a more customized and convenient shopping experience.

This intelligent shopping assistant, the first-of-its-kind in Thai supermarkets, integrates Google Cloud’s data analytics, gen AI, and enterprise search engine capabilities with Central Food Retail’s Personal Shopper service.

It is designed to provide customers with a seamless, effortless shopping experience, transforming everyday meal planning into a streamlined and enjoyable process.

Tops Chef Bot will debut as a pilot program at Tops Food Hall, Central Chidlom.

This marks the first step in a phased rollout, with plans to expand this service to all Tops branches nationwide in the near future.

“Since the successful launch of the Personal Shopper service in 2021, which enhanced the convenience and lifestyle of our customers, Tops has continued to innovate and develop cutting-edge retail solutions,

“We prioritize the integration of digital technology and AI to refine our operations and elevate the customer experience, adapting swiftly to the dynamic trends and demands of the digital era,

“This year, we are revolutionizing Thailand’s retail landscape once again through a strategic collaboration between Central Retail Digital and Google Cloud,” said Stephane Coum, Chief Executive Officer, Central Food Retail Group.

He noted that powered by Google Cloud’s enterprise-grade gen AI, Tops Chef Bot offers unparalleled convenience and a more advanced, seamless shopping experience for their customers.

“With this initiative, we aim to set new benchmarks for the Thai retail industry, paving the way for a more innovative future,” he added.

Annop Siritikul, Country Director, Thailand, Google Cloud, said Central Retail has taken full advantage of their Vertex AI and BigQuery platforms to connect powerful AI models like Gemini 1.5 Flash to its diverse data sources, including inventory, product catalogs, curated recipes, and customer insights.

“This platform-first approach has allowed them to develop and launch Tops Chef Bot, a gen AI agent underpinned by a Google-quality search engine,” he added.

According to him, Tops Chef Bot’s ability to provide personalized meal preparation and grocery shopping assistance is a compelling example of how gen AI can enhance product discovery and elevate the retail customer experience.

“We look forward to our continued collaboration with Central Retail to bring more enterprise-grade data- and AI-driven innovations to shoppers in Thailand,” he added.

It is noted that Tops Chef Bot also incorporates an advanced online inventory management system as part of its agentic AI workflow.

This system optimizes operational efficiency by reducing the need for manual stock checks.

Additionally, it drives sales growth through a cross-selling strategy, which focuses on recommending complementary products or services that add value to items customers have previously purchased.

David Llamas, Group Chief Digital Officer, Central Retail Corporation, said the mission of Central Retail Digital is to drive the organization’s complete transformation in the digital era.

This includes integrating BigQuery and Vertex AI, Google Cloud’s industry-leading platforms for data analytics and AI development, with their business processes to create a next-generation omnichannel platform, offering the most seamless and comprehensive experience for consumers in line with Central Retail’s CRC OMNI-Intelligence vision.

“In this endeavor, we have collaborated with Central Food Retail Group, starting with Tops Supermarket, to reimagine and enhance the Personal Shopper service,

“Leveraging Google Cloud’s Gemini 1.5 Flash model and Vertex AI Search, as well as the expertise of their engineering and AI experts, we have introduced Tops Chef Bot, a groundbreaking intelligent shopping assistant,” he noted.

According to him, this innovative AI assistant simplifies and personalizes experiences tailored to customers’ individual needs and preferences, making grocery shopping at Tops stores more intuitive and effortless.

“We at Central Retail Digital firmly believe that the launch of Tops Chef Bot will serve as inspiration for designing even more groundbreaking innovations and mark a significant milestone in advancing Thailand’s retail industry,” he added.

The introduction of Tops Chef Bot is a significant step forward in fostering sustainable business growth, fully aligned with the Central Food Retail Group’s roadmap for long-term development and innovation, said the statement. 

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