CloudTech is part of the TechForge Publications seriesView AllAI NewsDeveloperIoT NewsMarketing TechTechHQTech Wire AsiaTelecomsView AllAI NewsDeveloperIoT NewsMarketing TechTechHQTech Wire AsiaTelecomsTechForge SearchNewsCategoriesCloud in ActionCloud MigrationCloud ROI & CostInternal Change ManagementMissteps & LessonsSME & Startup CloudEditorial DeskAnnouncements & AnalysisForecasts & TrendsMigrations: Behind the ScenesTechEx EventsFeaturesInterviewsPodcastsSponsored ContentVideosWebinarsFuture of CloudAI & CloudCloud EthicsEdge & Distributed CloudOpen CloudQuantum & CloudServerless ArchitectureSustainable CloudIndustry PerspectivesEducation & ResearchFinanceHealthcare & Life SciencesLegal & HRMedia, Gaming & CreativePublic SectorRetail & ConsumerMarket IntelligenceCloud StartupsEarnings & Market ShareEvent CoverageMergers & AcquisitionsVendor Roadmaps & LeadershipSecurity, Privacy & TrustCloud CybersecurityCyber Security & Cloud ExpoEncryption & Data PrivacyGovernance, Risk & ComplianceIdentity & AccessStrategy & Decision-MakingChoosing a Cloud StrategyFinOps & BudgetsLock-In & ExitMulti- & Hybrid CloudProcurement & ContractsSkills & HiringTechnology StackBig VendorsContainers & KubernetesDatabases & Data PlatformsInfrastructure as CodeObservability & MonitoringXaaS ModelsEventsResourcesOn-demand WebinarsExclusive VideosPodcastsAll ResourcesMoreAdvertiseAbout UsContact Us SearchNewsCategoriesCloud in ActionCloud MigrationCloud ROI & CostInternal Change ManagementMissteps & LessonsSME & Startup CloudEditorial DeskAnnouncements & AnalysisForecasts & TrendsMigrations: Behind the ScenesTechEx EventsFeaturesInterviewsPodcastsSponsored ContentVideosWebinarsFuture of CloudAI & CloudCloud EthicsEdge & Distributed CloudOpen CloudQuantum & CloudServerless ArchitectureSustainable CloudIndustry PerspectivesEducation & ResearchFinanceHealthcare & Life SciencesLegal & HRMedia, Gaming & CreativePublic SectorRetail & ConsumerMarket IntelligenceCloud StartupsEarnings & Market ShareEvent CoverageMergers & AcquisitionsVendor Roadmaps & LeadershipSecurity, Privacy & TrustCloud CybersecurityCyber Security & Cloud ExpoEncryption & Data PrivacyGovernance, Risk & ComplianceIdentity & AccessStrategy & Decision-MakingChoosing a Cloud StrategyFinOps & BudgetsLock-In & ExitMulti- & Hybrid CloudProcurement & ContractsSkills & HiringTechnology StackBig VendorsContainers & KubernetesDatabases & Data PlatformsInfrastructure as CodeObservability & MonitoringXaaS ModelsEventsResourcesOn-demand WebinarsExclusive VideosPodcastsAll ResourcesMoreAdvertiseAbout UsContact Us Subscribe Subscribe SearchNewsCategoriesCloud in ActionCloud MigrationCloud ROI & CostInternal Change ManagementMissteps & LessonsSME & Startup CloudEditorial DeskAnnouncements & AnalysisForecasts & TrendsMigrations: Behind the ScenesTechEx EventsFeaturesInterviewsPodcastsSponsored ContentVideosWebinarsFuture of CloudAI & CloudCloud EthicsEdge & Distributed CloudOpen CloudQuantum & CloudServerless ArchitectureSustainable CloudIndustry PerspectivesEducation & ResearchFinanceHealthcare & Life SciencesLegal & HRMedia, Gaming & CreativePublic SectorRetail & ConsumerMarket IntelligenceCloud StartupsEarnings & Market ShareEvent CoverageMergers & AcquisitionsVendor Roadmaps & LeadershipSecurity, Privacy & TrustCloud CybersecurityCyber Security & Cloud ExpoEncryption & Data PrivacyGovernance, Risk & ComplianceIdentity & AccessStrategy & Decision-MakingChoosing a Cloud StrategyFinOps & BudgetsLock-In & ExitMulti- & Hybrid CloudProcurement & ContractsSkills & HiringTechnology StackBig VendorsContainers & KubernetesDatabases & Data PlatformsInfrastructure as CodeObservability & MonitoringXaaS ModelsEventsResourcesOn-demand WebinarsExclusive VideosPodcastsAll ResourcesMoreAdvertiseAbout UsContact Us Hamburger Toggle Menu AI & Cloud, Cloud Computing, Cloud in Action, Features, Retail & ConsumerWesfarmers turns to Google Cloud to scale AI across its retail brandsMuhammad Zulhusni13th February 2026 Share this story: Tags:AIcloudgoogle cloudretailCategories::AI & CloudCloud ComputingCloud in ActionFeaturesRetail & ConsumerThe way people shop online and in stores is changing.Large retailers are trying new ways to make search, product discovery and support feel more fluid and more personalised.The Australian retail group Wesfarmers unveiled a partnership with Google Cloud designed to do just that, using advanced AI tools to build a new customer experience model across its retail brands.Wesfarmers owns several well-known retail chains, including Kmart, Officeworks, Priceline and more, with a customer membership platform called .
The company said it plans to use Google Cloud’s Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience to build what it calls “agentic shopping” tools.These are systems that let customers use natural language to find products, receive recommendations and move from discovery to checkout within a more conversational interface.The pilots are already underway on the OnePass platform.This type of AI goes beyond traditional search bars and simple chatbots.According to press releases around the Gemini Enterprise platform, the tools are built to understand context and assist through multiple steps of a customer’s interaction, from early product questions all the way to post-purchase support.Businesses using these systems can create AI agents that act on a customer’s behalf to handle tasks across the full journey, not just respond to isolated queries.
Examples shared by other retailers working with the same technology show how agents can take consented actions, such as comparing products and even adding items to a shopping cart based on a customer’s expressed preferences.From conversational shopping to contextual supportDigital shopping tools are one strand of the work.Wesfarmers will also deploy AI assistants aimed at improving customer service response times and the quality of support interactions.These assistants are designed to keep track of conversational context, unlike older, scripted bots that often lose track of what was asked earlier in the same session.
This contextual awareness can make support feel more responsive and useful, as it connects questions and answers across the life of a conversation.There are also internal uses for the AI.Wesfarmers is making Gemini Enterprise available to teams across its retail divisions.Staff from operations, customer service, marketing and finance will be able to use the tools to analyse information, automate routine tasks and support decision-making.
Wesfarmers sees this as a way to reduce manual workload on repetitive tasks so people can spend more time on higher-value work like planning, creativity and strategic decisions.Wesfarmers brings agentic AI into retail enterprise workflowsThe move comes in a period where many retailers are exploring ways to make AI more than a novelty or test project.A growing trend in enterprise AI involves the idea of “agentic commerce,” a model where AI does more than recommend products or answer questions.Instead, it performs multi-step activities on behalf of customers, handling parts of the shopper journey that were traditionally handled by people or multiple disconnected systems.
Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience is one example of this kind of tool.For large multi-brand companies like Wesfarmers, the challenges are both technical and organisational.Complex product catalogues and customer data siloes can make it hard to provide consistent, personalised experiences across different brands and channels.AI agents that can understand intent and context may help bridge some of those gaps, but they depend on good data quality and strong back-end integration.Google’s platform aims to tie these pieces together by allowing brands to connect conversational interfaces with backend systems such as inventory and order management.Rob Scott, Managing Director of Wesfarmers, said the company was expanding its use of AI across forecasting, design and customer engagement.
“It’s important that we do so responsibly, at scale and with the right partners,” Scott said in the announcement about the collaboration with Google Cloud.“Google Cloud’s capabilities will support the development of agentic solutions that enhance customer experiences and enable our teams to focus on higher-value work.”Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, also commented on the partnership’s potential impact.He framed the work as rethinking retail interactions.
“By integrating Google’s agentic AI across Wesfarmers’ brands, we aren’t just digitising the storefront — we are helping them reimagine every customer touchpoint and automate their internal processes,” Kurian said.Integration, training, and enterprise realitiesTraining is part of the picture.The partnership includes a custom upskilling programme run by Google Cloud to help Wesfarmers team members use the new AI tools confidently and securely.This training will be adapted to different roles, from store teams to support centre staff.
How widely AI gets adopted internally will depend on how comfortable employees become with the tools and how well they fit into everyday workflows.Putting AI into customer experience and internal workflows is not without challenges.Retailers must guard against incorrect responses, maintain strong data governance, and ensure that automated systems do not compromise privacy or accuracy.Many companies start with limited deployments and gradually expand them as they learn what works and where human oversight is still needed.Wesfarmers’ move is a clear example of how AI is stepping into both front-end customer engagements and back-office functions.
A multi-brand retailer is using a broad suite of agentic AI tools to both help customers along their shopping journeys and give staff new ways to work with data and tasks.The impact of these changes will be shaped by how well the technology integrates with existing systems and how organisations manage expectations around accuracy, privacy and governance.See also: What Carousell learned about scaling BI in the cloudWant to learn more about Cloud Computing from industry leaders? Check out Cyber Security & Cloud Expo taking place in Amsterdam, California, and London.The comprehensive event is part of TechEx and is co-located with other leading technology events, click here for more information.CloudTech News is powered by TechForge Media.Explore other upcoming enterprise technology events and webinars here.About the Author Muhammad ZulhusniJournalist As a tech journalist, Zul focuses on topics including cloud computing, cybersecurity, and disruptive technology in the enterprise industry.
He has expertise in moderating webinars and presenting content on video, in addition to having a background in networking technology.Related How to ensure your cloud data remains secure with CSPM13th February 2026 Europe’s soveriegn DCs on the ascent amid power and legislative pressure11th February 2026 G42 and Vietnamese firms plan $1B sovereign cloud push11th February 2026 Data centre investments drive Blackstone record assets11th February 2026 How to ensure your cloud data remains secure with CSPM13th February 2026 Europe’s soveriegn DCs on the ascent amid power and legislative pressure11th February 2026 G42 and Vietnamese firms plan $1B sovereign cloud push11th February 2026 Data centre investments drive Blackstone record assets11th February 2026 Join our CommunitySubscribe now to get all our premium content and latest tech news delivered straight to your inbox Click here Popular Cloud ROI & Cost, Interviews, Sponsored Content, Sustainable CloudRipple effect: Xylem’s sustainable water solutions for Europe’s data centres 20383 view(s)Cloud Computing, XaaS ModelsConcern over cloud storage security remains says Spiceworks – but good news for OneDrive 12589 view(s)Big Vendors, Cloud Computing, Market Intelligence5 of the best: cloud technology training platforms 5526 view(s)Big Vendors, Cloud Computing, Market IntelligenceOracle Cloud denies breach as hacker offers 6 million records for sale 5520 view(s)Cloud ROI & Cost, Interviews, Sponsored Content, Sustainable CloudRipple effect: Xylem’s sustainable water solutions for Europe’s data centres 20383 view(s)Cloud Computing, XaaS ModelsConcern over cloud storage security remains says Spiceworks – but good news for OneDrive 12589 view(s)Big Vendors, Cloud Computing, Market Intelligence5 of the best: cloud technology training platforms 5526 view(s)Big Vendors, Cloud Computing, Market IntelligenceOracle Cloud denies breach as hacker offers 6 million records for sale 5520 view(s) See all Latest View All Latest AI & Cloud11th February 2026G42 and Vietnamese firms plan $1B sovereign cloud push Earnings & Market Share11th February 2026Data centre investments drive Blackstone record assets AI & Cloud11th February 2026Corning expands manufacturing to meet optical fibre demand AI & Cloud11th February 2026G42 and Vietnamese firms plan $1B sovereign cloud push Earnings & Market Share11th February 2026Data centre investments drive Blackstone record assets AI & Cloud11th February 2026Corning expands manufacturing to meet optical fibre demand SubscribeAll our premium content and latest tech news delivered straight to your inbox Subscribe ExploreAbout UsContact UsNewsletterPrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyAbout UsContact UsNewsletterPrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyReach Our AudienceAdvertisePost a Press ReleaseContact UsAdvertisePost a Press ReleaseContact UsCategoriesCloud in ActionEditorial DeskFeaturesFuture of CloudIndustry PerspectivesMarket IntelligenceSecurity, Privacy & TrustTechnology StackStrategy & Decision-MakingAll CategoriesCloud in ActionEditorial DeskFeaturesFuture of CloudIndustry PerspectivesMarket IntelligenceSecurity, Privacy & TrustTechnology StackStrategy & Decision-MakingAll CategoriesOther PublicationsExplore AllAI NewsDeveloperIoT NewsMarketing TechTechHQTech Wire AsiaTelecomsExplore AllAI NewsDeveloperIoT NewsMarketing TechTechHQTech Wire AsiaTelecomsCloudTech News is part of TechForge SubscribeAll our premium content and latest tech news delivered straight to your inbox
Read More
