South African grocery retailer Pick n Pay unveiled an artificial intelligence-powered shopping assistant on Thursday, giving customers a new way to place grocery orders without having to manually search for products. The tool accepts voice notes, typed messages, and photographs as input.
The launch is a key piece of Pick n Pay’s effort to revitalize its business after a prolonged period of sluggish sales and declining market share. The company, South Africa’s second-largest retailer by revenue, has been working to strengthen its digital presence as it tries to close the gap with bigger rival Shoprite.
Shoprite’s Checkers Sixty60 platform has established a commanding lead in South Africa’s rapidly expanding on-demand grocery delivery market, compelling competitors to pour resources into digital technology and services.
The trend extends beyond South Africa — retailers worldwide are exploring generative AI as a way to personalize product suggestions, improve search capabilities, and make online shopping easier, driven by advances in large language model technology.
Pick n Pay’s assistant, called “Penny,” is built on Google’s Gemini AI models and is scheduled to roll out beginning July 6, the company announced.
Penny can handle grocery orders in multiple languages and accepts a range of inputs, including voice recordings, written prompts, and photographs — even pictures of handwritten shopping lists, recipes, or items a customer wants to purchase. Beyond ordering, the assistant can propose recipes, suggest alternative ingredients, assist with meal planning, and offer budget-friendly shopping guidance along with tailored product recommendations.
Enrico Ferigolli, omnichannel retail executive at Pick n Pay, spoke at the launch event and framed the development as a fundamental shift in consumer behavior.
“On-demand delivery changed how people shop. AI is now changing how they order,” Ferigolli told reporters. “Consumers no longer just want speed, they want shopping apps to think for them … By helping customers, our sales will grow,” he added.
Ferigolli also indicated that additional AI-driven features are in the pipeline and will be introduced over the coming months.
Shoprite has also been moving in this direction. Earlier this year, the retail giant expanded its own AI investment by launching an assistant designed to recommend restocking purchases, surface new products, and deliver personalized deals to shoppers.
