Home Depot Deploys Magic Apron AI Assistant to Over 2,000 US Stores

Home Depot has rolled out its AI-powered in-store assistant, Magic Apron, to over 2,000 US stores. The technology offers shoppers personalized information about inventory and item locations tailored to their specific store, as well as project advice and recommendations on the best products for various tasks.

Magic Apron can be accessed through the Home Depot app or by scanning an in-store QR code and supports text and voice-to-text queries, multilingual conversations, and image uploads. The assistant is designed to complement the expertise of Home Depot's employees and provide customers with another way to get guidance and support while shopping.

According to a forecast, Home Depot's US retail ecommerce sales make up only a small portion of its overall US retail sales. Magic Apron can expand the utility of the app beyond online sales by offering personalized in-store experiences. Sixty-two percent of global consumers want such experiences, and 58% don't mind when AI is used as long as they receive a personalized experience.

However, there is a trust barrier, one in three US adults won't use an AI shopping assistant because they're worried it will try to sell them things they don't need. To build trust, retailers are advised to focus on AI experiences that improve in-store shopping rather than solely increasing purchase volume and deliver meaningful personalization while offering consumers an opt-out on data usage.