Tesco is rolling out a major update to its Clubcard this week, introducing an AI-powered meal-planning assistant to shoppers across the UK. The feature, which was trialled with 280,000 staff members, is now being launched for customers after a wider rollout began last month.
AI assistant aims to save time and cut food waste
The new tool connects to purchase data collected through the Clubcard scheme and promises to deliver a tailored service that saves customers "time, stress and money" while reducing food waste. It was first announced in April, with the assistant initially helping customers with meal planning by providing a "natural, two-way dialogue to offer inspiration in the form of personalised recipe ideas", taking dietary preferences into consideration.
Shoppers can search for dishes based on budget or culinary style, or both, and can even create a meal by listing ingredients they already have at home that need using up. Tesco has confirmed that the assistant's integration with Clubcard data will allow it to suggest what customers might already have in their cupboard or fridge.
Feature to be integrated into Tesco app
The feature is set to be woven into the Tesco app as part of a long-term vision to broaden its functionality, "so it can help customers with more parts of their day-to-day lives and provide them with a genuinely intelligent, helpful shopping experience". Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy commented: "We are also making strong progress on AI-enabled personalisation, extending Your Clubcard Prices and beginning the customer rollout of our meal planning assistant, helping customers manage their busy lives."
Partnerships with AI firms revealed
Tesco disclosed that its internal teams have been working in partnership with Tomoro AI, a British artificial intelligence consultancy founded in 2023. They are collaborating with OpenAI on creating the new assistant, with the initiative conducted under "strict secrecy protocols" since last autumn.
The supermarket acknowledged that AI has been operating "behind the scenes" within its business for years, including in its Clubcard loyalty programme, with the aim to "improve the overall shopping experience". The retail powerhouse has expanded its technology workforce twofold over the last five years and entered into a three-year strategic alliance with the European AI start-up Mistral to build new AI capabilities.
