Home Depot launches Magic Apron, a generative AI customer guide

Home Depot has rolled out an online concierge, powered by generative artificial intelligence, to help answer customers’ questions about millions of products and even how to get projects done.

The Georgia-based home improvement giant said Magic Apron is powered by advanced large language model tools and can provide real-time answers online like its associates can in stores. Home Depot started rolling out Magic Apron to its main website, homedepot.com, and its app in recent months. The AI concierge can be found in a chat bar on millions of product pages.

Home Depot has used AI at scale on its website for a decade, said Jordan Broggi, executive vice president of customer experience and president of the company’s online operations.

The company now uses generative AI to produce text and visual content. Magic Apron goes further. It can answer detailed questions about hardware and other merchandise, summarize product reviews and give project recommendations.

“Magic Apron is a subset of generative AI, and for us it is our version of bringing that aproned associate experience that customers love in the aisles of our store into the digital aisles,” Broggi said in an interview Wednesday.

Home Depot joins the ranks of companies rolling out AI-powered tools to help assist customers. Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines has also used AI as part of its website for years. In January, the carrier announced its Delta Concierge chatbot to help enhance and further personalize online customer service.

Broggi said Magic Apron’s model has been trained using Home Depot’s proprietary knowledge and its product catalog. He said company experts and Home Depot data scientists have helped teach the model to refine its answers.

In stores, conversations between customers and Home Depot associates often start with merchandise. With some questioning by associates, those conversations evolve into project discussions. Broggi said that’s the intent with Magic Apron.

An Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter inquired with the chatbot about staining a deck, including the types of stains one might use and how many coats to apply.

The chatbot provided a listing of stains by type and information about the preferred frequency of application by product. It also displayed information about how to prepare the work site and steps for applying different types of stains.

“It has a contextual understanding of where you are,” Broggi said.

Home Depot will soon roll out the AI tool to its website for professionals, with guidance tailored to contractors and other business customers.

In a news release, Home Depot said additional functions will be added, including “project inspiration, design ideas, product comparison and recommendations.”

Ultimately, the Home Depot concierge will gain the capability of remembering past discussions and order histories to better understand customers’ needs, Broggi said.

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