INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Software for Business

Launching initially at Castorama France , the virtual assistant answers customers ’ DIY queries and provides step-by-step advice on a range of home improvement projects , as well as tailored product recommendations .

Customers can ask the assistant questions in natural language while shopping online – for example ‘ how do I install a worktop in my kitchen ’ or ‘ which saw should I choose to cut my worktop ?’ The assistant will answer in a friendly and conversational way with relevant advice , drawing on a wealth of DIY and product knowledge .

As well as conversing with customers via text chat , the assistant will soon be able to analyse photos to perform visual searches and answer visual queries . By uploading a photo , a customer will be able to use the assistant to identify a particular part – for example ‘ I want to replace this broken part of my sink but I don ’ t know what it ’ s called ’ or ‘ I ’ d like to find another cushion like this one ’.

The assistant will initially provide advice in relation to power tools , before being extended to cover Castorama ’ s full range of products .

The assistant is capable of operating in multiple languages and if it proves successful , it will ultimately be rolled out to other banners across the Kingfisher Group .

Tom Betts , Group Data Director at Kingfisher , said : “ Our new virtual assistant is designed to simplify the world of home improvement , making DIY projects easy and accessible for everyone . Whether you ’ re a

DIY novice looking for advice getting started with a project , or an experienced DIYer in need of a technical answer quickly , our assistant will be on hand to support 24 / 7 . We ’ re hugely excited by the potential of this technology and look forward to seeing the response from customers .”

To power the assistant and support other future applications of AI , Kingfisher ’ s data team has developed a proprietary AI orchestration framework , named Athena . This will manage prompting and interaction with a range of large language models , as well as other AI tools developed in-house . It incorporates a range of controls to ensure security and protect against sensitive or inappropriate content , helping Kingfisher to deliver the best possible AI experiences for customers .

The DIY assistant project builds on a wide range of initiatives developed by Kingfisher ’ s expert teams to harness the power of AI and data . Other examples include :

• AI-powered product recommendation and personalisation engines at B & Q and Screwfix , which are already generating up to 10 % of e-commerce sales .

• AI-driven tools to optimise markdowns and clearance , with early pilots at B & Q delivering very encouraging gross margin improvement on clearance products .

• An end-to-end supply chain visibility tool to support lower inventory levels and faster replenishment cycles . Live in France , Iberia and Romania , the tool is already showing early success in reducing inventory levels without impacting product availability . p

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