UK homewares retailer Dunelm boosts online shopping experience with Google Cloud Gen AI powered tie up

Dunelm has announced an enhancement to its online shopping experience through a new collaboration with Google Cloud.

As part of the two companies' work together, the retailer has implemented a new, generative AI driven product discovery solution on Dunelm.com.

Towards the end of 2023, it recognised an opportunity to modernise its website search capabilities. By transitioning from a first generation search engine to Google Cloud's Vertex AI Search for Retail platform, Dunelm aimed to provide a seamless and increasingly personalised shopping journey for its customers.

Today, with Vertex AI Search for Retail, Dunelm can now offer Google quality product discovery on its website.

John Gahagan, Chief Technology and Information Officer at Dunelm, says: "A key part of our strategy is to improve the ways we connect products to our customers. Partnering with Google Cloud brings innovative generative AI solutions to our online search capabilities, making it much easier for customers to find the products they want.”

“This is an exciting step forward in providing a best-in-class online shopping experience. By leveraging the power of AI, we're making it easier than ever for our customers to find inspiration, supporting our growth potential as 'The Home of Homes.'"

Early testing of the new generative AI platform in 2024 yielded some notable improvements to key metrics, including a significant reduction in search friction, with less than 1% of search terms returning zero results.

These enhancements translated to a more intuitive and efficient shopping experience, allowing customers to quickly discover the perfect products for their homes, across multiple homeware and furniture categories.

"Website search abandonment costs retailers millions of pounds annually, as consumers are unable to find the specific products they need," says Tara Brady, President, Google Cloud EMEA. "We're proud to collaborate on this important project to use generative AI to improve consumer experiences and shape the future of retail."

Dunelm's work with Google Cloud was in partnership with Kin + Carta (recently acquired by Valtech), who supported with the initial design and experimentation of the programme.

2024 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Gen AI is a key focus area for the sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards, which is now open for entries.

The awards, sponsored by CADS, 3D Cloud, Brightpearl by Sage’s Lightning 50, and Retail Technology Show 2025, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Key 2024 dates

Friday, 25th October: Award entry deadline 

Tuesday, 29th October: 2024 shortlist revealed

30th October-6th November: Judging days

Thursday, 21st November: Winners announced at the 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards ceremony, to be held at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London.