What did Kmart Australia announce regarding its digital retail strategy?

Kmart Australia partnered with Google Cloud to launch an advanced, autonomous AI shopping companion named Joy. Integrated directly into the Kmart app, the assistant will use natural language processing and multimodal capabilities to guide customers from product discovery through to checkout.

When will Kmart Australia launch its new Gemini-powered AI assistant?

The official rollout of the AI shopping companion, Joy, is scheduled to launch within the Kmart mobile application in June. Retail investors should track this launch date to monitor early user adoption, app store rankings, and initial customer feedback.

What specific features will the Kmart AI shopping assistant include?

The virtual assistant features a retail-first virtual try-on experience and a "see it in my space" augmented reality function for previewing homewares in a user's room. Additionally, it allows shoppers to upload photos or use natural language text prompts to discover, compare, and refine product searches.

What underlying technology powers Kmart's new virtual assistant?

The tool is powered by Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience, a specialised platform from Google Cloud. This agentic AI architecture is purpose-built to autonomously manage entire customer lifecycles, handling everything from initial product discovery to post-purchase support.

Why does the Google Cloud partnership matter for Kmart's parent company, Wesfarmers (ASX:WES)?

While Kmart operates as a subsidiary of Wesfarmers (ASX:WES), this rollout signals an aggressive tech-driven push to capture higher digital sales and market share. If successful, the AI companion could lower customer acquisition costs, increase average order value (AOV), and improve digital operating margins.

Image for illustrative purposes only. Not a real photo.

Kmart partners with Google for Gemini AI assistant

Written by Liezl GambePublished May. 27 2026Last Updated May. 28 2026

Kmart Australia has partnered with Google Cloud to deploy an advanced "agentic" AI shopping companion across its digital storefront, with an official rollout scheduled for the Kmart app in June.

The upcoming virtual assistant, named Joy, is designed to deliver a highly interactive and autonomous retail journey.

Joy will feature a retail-first virtual try-on experience alongside a "see it in my space" function, allowing shoppers to preview outfits on their own likeness and virtually place homewares inside their own rooms before checking out.

Operating as a digital shopping companion, Joy utilises natural language processing to help customers discover products, compare options, and refine searches.

Users can also upload photos directly to the app to receive tailored recommendations.

The tool is powered by Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience, a specialised Google Cloud platform engineered to manage the entire customer lifecycle from initial product discovery through to post-purchase support.

"AI represents a massive opportunity for retailers to completely redefine the shopping journey, making everyday tasks like planning an event or finding the perfect gift feel incredibly intuitive," said Paul Migliorini, Vice President of Google Cloud Australia.

"Joy’s multimodal capabilities mean Kmart customers can now shop however they prefer, using a photo or text to easily find the right products."