The Home Depot and Google Cloud said Saturday they are expanding their strategic partnership to deploy a new generation of agentic artificial intelligence tools aimed at helping customers and store associates move home improvement projects from planning to completion more quickly.
The announcement was made at National Retail Federation’s NRF 2026 conference. The companies said the tools are designed to provide real-time, project-specific assistance to both do-it-yourself customers and professional users, including contractors, remodelers, and renovators, across digital channels, stores, and jobsites.
Home Depot said it is using Google Cloud’s Gemini models and Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience to extend its in-store expertise into digital environments. New capabilities include expanded features in its Magic Apron assistant, AI-generated materials lists for professional customers and AI-powered improvements to customer service and last-mile delivery.
The retailer said the technology is being deployed as part of what it described as an “AI-first” experience that is personalized and contextual, whether customers are shopping online, in stores or managing projects on a jobsite. In the coming months, Home Depot said some of the capabilities will also appear in external platforms, including AI-driven shopping experiences within Google Search and the Gemini app.
“The Home Depot has always been about providing excellent customer service,” said Jordan Broggi, executive vice president of customer experience and president of online at Home Depot. He said the partnership is intended to make the company’s in-store expertise available wherever customers are working, from homes to jobsites to store aisles.
Jose Gomes, vice president of retail and consumer packaged goods at Google Cloud, said the collaboration reflects a broader shift in retail technology from recommendation engines to systems that actively help solve problems and complete tasks.
Magic Apron Expands from Chatbot to Project Assistant
Home Depot said it has significantly expanded its Magic Apron suite, evolving it from a basic AI assistant on product pages into a conversational, project-focused tool available across the company’s digital platforms.
Customers can now describe projects in plain language and receive guided recommendations, technical advice and product suggestions for jobs ranging from small repairs to major renovations. By integrating a shopping agent from Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience, Home Depot said Magic Apron will add multimodal capabilities, including image uploads and visual guidance, to help users navigate more complex projects.
The company is also evaluating a new in-store version of Magic Apron that connects AI-driven advice with real-time inventory data and precise product locations. The tool can direct shoppers to specific aisles and bays while offering technical guidance and suggesting additional materials needed for a job. Home Depot said the in-store experience is currently being piloted in select locations and is expected to roll out more broadly in the coming months.
AI-generated materials lists target pro customers
For professional customers, Home Depot said it is rolling out an AI-powered materials list feature on its Pro digital platform. The tool allows contractors to describe a project by voice or text, upload an existing list or share partial information. The system then generates a grouped materials list and flags items that may be missing.
Home Depot said the feature, which entered beta testing in November 2025, is scaling nationally this month. The company said it is intended to reduce the time required for estimating and quoting, allowing contractors to prepare bids more quickly and move faster on new work.
Delivery and Service Upgrades
Home Depot also outlined new AI-powered route intelligence tools built on Gemini and Google Maps Platform. The system combines customer-specific delivery details with external data such as weather and road conditions to predict and prevent delivery failures. The company said technology can identify potential access issues, such as narrow streets or gated sites, and recommend appropriate equipment and crew sizes before dispatch.
On the customer service side, Home Depot said it has deployed conversational AI across chat, SMS, and phone channels, replacing traditional menu-driven systems. The company said the platform is already live and is producing higher engagement and faster issue resolution. It is also testing AI-powered voice agents in select stores to manage routine inquiries and free associates to focus on more complex customer needs.
Internally, Home Depot said it is equipping thousands of associates at its Store Support Center with Gemini Enterprise to automate routine workflows, including forecasting project bottlenecks, drafting marketing copy, and reviewing digital designs.
Home Depot is the world’s largest home improvement specialty retailer, operating 2,356 retail stores and more than 1,200 SRS distribution locations across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico as of the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2025. The company employs more than 470,000 associates. Google Cloud is a division of Google, which is owned by Alphabet Inc
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