Retail app Pick n Pay asap! has launched a fully integrated artificial intelligence shopping assistant, Penny.
The new feature allows shoppers to speak, type or upload photos instead of manually searching for products. The AI assistant then builds a shopping basket based on the customer’s request.
From search-and-scroll to conversation-led shopping
Enrico Ferigolli, retail executive for omnichannel at Pick n Pay, said the technology marks a great change in how people buy groceries online.
“We’re moving from search-and-scroll shopping to conversation-led shopping that makes buying groceries faster, smarter and far more intuitive.
“For years, the focus has been on faster delivery. The next disruption is removing the effort from itself. Consumers no longer just want speed – they want shopping apps that think for them,” said Ferigolli.
He said Penny has been developed around South African shopping habits and can personalise recommendations using customers’ Smart Shopper purchase history, taking into account preferred brands, quantities and price ranges.
“By understanding what customers are cooking, buying and planning, Penny becomes more than a shopping app – it becomes a genuine shopping companion that makes grocery shopping dramatically faster and simpler.
‘Era of AI assistants’
“This is only the beginning of what AI can unlock for everyday grocery shopping, and Penny is the first step in that journey,” said Ferigolli.
Instead of browsing through product categories, customers can ask Penny to complete tasks such as finding products, planning meals, suggesting recipes, recommending ingredient substitutions or reordering previous purchases.
Kabelo Makwane, Director for Google South Africa, said the technology is designed to make AI more practical for everyday use.
“We are now in the era of AI assistants, where AI is moving beyond simply answering questions to helping people get things done.
“The power of multimodal AI is that people don’t have to adapt to technology – the technology adapts to them. Whether someone speaks, types or shares a photo, AI understands their intent. When these capabilities are built into products people already know and trust, they solve real everyday problems in a simple, intuitive way,” said Makwane.
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- Pick n Pay’s asap! app has launched Penny, an AI shopping assistant that allows users to shop by speaking, typing, or uploading photos instead of manual searching.
- Penny personalizes grocery recommendations based on customers' purchase history, preferred brands, quantities, and price ranges, tailored to South African shopping habits.
- The AI assistant enables conversation-led shopping, shifting from traditional search-and-scroll to faster, smarter, and more intuitive grocery buying.
- Penny can perform tasks like finding products, planning meals, suggesting recipes, ingredient substitutes, and reordering previous purchases.
- Google South Africa emphasizes that Penny represents the new era of AI assistants, adapting to users' input methods and solving everyday problems seamlessly.
