Google used the National Retail Federation’s annual conference this month to lay out a more expansive vision for artificial intelligence in commerce, unveiling tools designed not just to help shoppers find products, but to plan projects, complete purchases and manage fulfillment through a single, AI-driven workflow.
The announcements — centered on new agentic AI capabilities from Google Cloud — highlight how large retailers are pushing AI beyond search and recommendations into execution. For wholesale distributors, particularly those serving contractors and other professional buyers, the developments raise new questions about digital expectations and competitive positioning.
Among the most prominent adopters are Home Depot and Walmart, both of which detailed expanded partnerships with Google Cloud during NRF 2026. While Walmart’s initiative is aimed primarily at consumer shopping, Home Depot’s rollout spans both do-it-yourself customers and professionals — territory that overlaps directly with traditional distributor relationships.
Google Pushes AI From Assistance to Action
At the center of Google’s NRF announcements was Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience, a platform designed to connect shopping, customer service, and fulfillment into a single AI-powered system. Google executives described the technology as a shift toward “agentic” AI — systems capable of carrying context across interactions and completing multistep tasks on a user’s behalf.
Rather than handing customers off between search tools, ecommerce sites and service channels, Google said the platform is intended to allow AI systems to guide users from discovery through purchase and post-sale support within one continuous experience.
Google also introduced what it calls the Universal Commerce Protocol, an open standard intended to let AI systems interact more directly with merchants’ commerce infrastructure, including carts, pricing, and checkout, with customer authorization.
The company framed the effort as a foundation for what it views as the next phase of digital commerce, where AI systems increasingly function as intermediaries between buyers and sellers.
Home Depot Targets Project Planning and Pro Workflows
Home Depot said it is expanding its use of Google’s Gemini models across its digital platforms, stores, and supply chain. The retailer is applying the technology to customer-facing tools as well as internal operations.
For professional customers, Home Depot is rolling out an AI-powered materials list feature on its Pro digital platform. The tool allows contractors to describe a project using text or voice input, upload an existing list or provide partial information. The AI then generates a structured bill of materials and identifies potential gaps.
The company said the feature entered beta testing in November 2025 and is expanding nationally this month. Home Depot said the goal is to reduce the time required for estimating and quoting, allowing contractors to move more quickly from planning to execution.
Home Depot is also expanding its Magic Apron assistant beyond basic product-page support into a conversational project assistant. Customers can describe projects in plain language and receive guided advice, technical recommendations, and product suggestions. The retailer said future versions are expected to support image uploads and visual guidance.
In stores, Home Depot is evaluating a localized version of Magic Apron that connects AI-driven guidance with real-time inventory data and precise product locations. The system can direct customers to specific aisles and bays while suggesting complementary items. The company said the experience is being piloted in select locations.
AI Moves into Fulfillment and Service
Home Depot is also applying agentic AI to fulfillment planning. New routing tools built on Google’s Gemini models and the Google Maps Platform combine customer delivery details with external data such as traffic and weather. The system is designed to identify potential delivery constraints and recommend appropriate equipment and staffing before dispatch.
On the service side, Home Depot said it has deployed conversational AI across chat, text, and phone channels, replacing traditional menu-driven systems. It is also testing AI-powered voice agents in select stores to manage routine inquiries, allowing associates to focus on more complex requests. Internally, the company said it is providing Gemini Enterprise tools to thousands of corporate employees to automate routine tasks.
Home Depot operated 2,356 retail stores across North America as of the end of its fiscal third quarter of 2025, along with more than 1,200 SRS distribution locations, and employs more than 470,000 associates.
Walmart Embeds Shopping Inside AI Conversations
Walmart’s partnership with Google focuses on integrating its shopping experience directly into Google’s Gemini app. Using the Universal Commerce Protocol, the system can surface Walmart and Sam’s Club products during shopping-related conversations, such as planning household purchases or seasonal activities.
When customers link their accounts, Walmart said the experience will personalize recommendations based on past online and in-store purchases, combine suggested items with existing carts and apply benefits tied to Walmart+ and Sam’s Club memberships.
The experience emphasizes fast fulfillment, with access to locally curated assortments that can be delivered in hours — and in some cases within 30 minutes. Walmart said the Gemini-based experience is expected to launch first in the United States, with international markets to follow.
Walmart operates more than 10,750 stores globally and reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $681 billion.
Implications for Wholesale Distributors
Taken together, the announcements at NRF show how major retailers are using AI to compress discovery, planning, ordering and delivery into a single interaction. For consumers, the focus is convenience and speed. For professional buyers, the emphasis is faster estimating, fewer errors, and more predictable fulfillment.
For wholesale distributors, particularly those serving contractors, facilities managers and institutional buyers, the developments point to rising expectations for digital tools that support quoting, project planning, and execution — not just product availability.
As retailers deploy AI systems that can assemble materials lists, anticipate delivery challenges, and guide customers through complex decisions, distributors face increasing pressure to either match those capabilities or differentiate through deeper specialization, service expertise, and tighter integration with customer workflows.
Google’s message at NRF was clear: AI is no longer confined to search boxes and chat interfaces. It is moving directly into the mechanics of commerce itself. For distributors in 2026, the challenge is not whether AI will reshape buying behavior, but whether their digital and operational models are prepared to keep pace as that shift accelerates.
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