Retailers Fight for Control: Kroger & Lowe's Develop AI Shopping Agents
Published:Jan 12, 2026 12:00
•1 min read
•AI News
Analysis
This article highlights a critical strategic shift in the retail AI landscape. Retailers recognizing the potential disintermediation by third-party AI agents are proactively building their own to retain control over the customer experience and data, ensuring brand consistency in the age of conversational commerce.
Key Takeaways
- •Major retailers like Kroger and Lowe's are developing their own AI agents.
- •The primary motivation is to maintain control over product presentation and sales.
- •This represents a counter-trend against relying solely on external AI platforms like Google.
Reference
“Retailers are starting to confront a problem that sits behind much of the hype around AI shopping: as customers turn to chatbots and automated assistants to decide what to buy, retailers risk losing control over how their products are shown, sold, and bundled.”