Home improvement retailer Home Depot has rolled out its Magic Apron AI assistant to its more than 2000 US stores with local knowledge about all of them.

Magic Apron has been expanded to include localised store knowledge in all US stores to help shoppers and associates navigate stores more efficiently, quickly find products, ask product-specific questions and get personalised project guidance.

Already fielding millions of questions per month, Magic Apron now makes it even easier for customers to get help while they’re shopping in the aisles, with the ability to ask questions via text or voice-to-text, with image uploads and conversations in multiple languages.

Shoppers can access Magic Apron directly while using store mode in the Home Depot mobile app or by scanning a QR code on signage in their local Home Depot stores. Store mode helps customers shop in stores with features such as barcode scanning, product wayfinding and other real-time store information.

Using knowledge tailored to each shopper’s chosen store, Magic Apron brings guidance directly into their hands, backed by five decades of home improvement project expertise and details on millions of products online. Magic Apron complements the expertise of Home Depot staff by helping customers whenever and wherever they need it while shopping in stores.

“Customers come to the Home Depot for expert guidance, and we know they want their shopping experience to be easy and efficient,” said Jordan Broggi, Home Depot (corporate.homedepot.com) executive vice president. “Magic Apron takes the best of our digital expertise and brings it into the physical store, creating a more connected shopping experience that helps customers find products, get project guidance and make decisions faster. Our associates remain at the centre of the shopping experience, and Magic Apron gives customers another way to access guidance and support while they’re in our stores.”

Shoppers can ask Magic Apron product-specific questions, get help determining whether a product is right for their project, and get recommendations on the tools and supplies needed to complete a job. For example, a customer can take a picture of a bag of grass seed and ask what fertiliser is needed specific for their climate or find out what supplies are needed to patch and paint a drywall repair.

Shoppers can text questions, use voice-to-text, upload pictures and interact in their preferred language. They can access the map for their chosen store and find product aisle and bay locations quickly, with the ability to check product availability in-store as well as at other stores.

Customers shared positive feedback during pilot testing, stating that the new features helped them locate products more quickly, improved their confidence in purchasing decisions and helped them better understand product compatibility.

This Magic Apron expansion builds on the company’s store mode feature, which was originally launched in 2022 and helps customers shop more efficiently with barcode scanning, improved wayfinding and other store information. Magic Apron is now live in all 2000 US stores. Shoppers can open it in the Home Depot mobile app or scan a QR code on in-store signage.