At NVIDIA GTC 25, Lowe's showcased how it's reinventing itself using generative AI, impacting everything from customer experience to associate productivity and overall retail operations. This transformation is built on three core pillars: how customers shop, how associates sell, and how employees at all levels work.
Enhancing the Customer Shopping Experience
Lowe's is leveraging generative AI to provide customers with more intuitive and personalized shopping experiences. One key initiative is "Mylow," an AI-powered assistant developed in partnership with OpenAI. Mylow is designed to answer home improvement questions in a conversational manner, offering digestible advice to DIYers of all skill levels. Customers can refine recommendations by specifying details like their budget and ZIP code. Mylow is available to MyLowe's rewards members on the Lowe's website, with voice capabilities and app integration planned for later in the year.
The goal is to provide online shoppers with a level of guidance comparable to what they would receive in a store. Lowe's is also planning to roll out chatbots for customers, enabling them to ask questions like "How do I build a deck?" or "What flowers grow best in my area?". The AI assistant will provide ideas and facilitate product purchases directly within the generative AI experience.
Furthermore, Lowe's is using AI to improve online search and product recommendations, making it easier for customers to find what they need. The company also utilizes AI in its "Style Your Space" app, which allows customers to redesign spaces and get expert how-to advice.
Empowering Store Associates
Generative AI is also being deployed to empower Lowe's store associates, equipping them with the knowledge and tools to better assist customers. A chatbot assistant is available on Zebra handheld devices used by over 300,000 store associates. This tool helps associates answer complex product questions and provide quick solutions to customer inquiries, leveling the playing field between seasoned employees and newer team members.
Seemantini Godbole, EVP, Chief Digital and Information Officer at Lowe's, described these generative AI tools as giving "superpowers to associates," ensuring they feel confident and well-equipped when assisting customers.
Optimizing Retail Operations
Lowe's is creating 3D digital twins of all its stores, updated multiple times daily to reflect real-world conditions. These digital twins, powered by an Nvidia/Dell platform in each store, offer a video game-style interface that allows merchandisers to virtually move products and displays to optimize product placement and store layout.
The digital twins fuse spatial data with product locations, historical information, and data from in-store sensors. This enables associates to visualize and interact with store data in new ways, facilitating AR-powered reset and restocking support, "X-ray vision" to see hidden items, and remote collaboration. The digital twins are built using NVIDIA Omniverse Enterprise, creating interactive replicas of Lowe's stores. Lowe's also intends to release photorealistic 3D product assets to Omniverse developers through its Lowe's Open Builder program.
Lowe's is also exploring the use of AI and robotics within the digital twin environment. This includes training robots in simulation to automate tasks like lifting heavy boxes. The real-time updates to the digital twins also allow headquarters staff to "store-walk" any location virtually, understanding sales performance and identifying anomalies.
Broader AI Strategy
The generative AI initiatives are part of Lowe's broader AI strategy, which includes a framework to harness the power of AI to enhance customer experience and drive productivity. Lowe's is collaborating with leading tech platforms, including NVIDIA, OpenAI, and Palantir, to create innovative solutions.
Lowe's is also leveraging AI in other areas, such as supply chain planning and marketing, using AI to generate creative content and personalize advertising campaigns based on weather conditions.
These initiatives demonstrate Lowe's commitment to using cutting-edge technology to improve all aspects of its business, from customer interactions to internal operations, positioning the company for long-term growth and market share gains.
