Central Food Retail launches AI shopping assistant

It aims to enhance the shopping experience with personalised, efficient, and convenient support.

Central Food Retail, part of Central Retail, has introduced Tops Chef Bot, Thailand’s first generative AI-powered shopping assistant, in collaboration with Central Retail Digital and Google Cloud.

The AI assistant aims to enhance the shopping experience with personalised, efficient, and convenient support.

Tops Chef Bot is piloting at Tops Food Hall, Central Chidlom, with plans for a nationwide rollout. Accessible via the LINE app, the assistant leverages Google Cloud’s Vertex AI and BigQuery platforms to provide real-time recommendations and insights based on customer preferences and shopping habits.

The AI assistant offers four main features: Shopping Companion for tailored product suggestions and shopping lists, Culinary Assistant for meal planning and ingredient calculations, Savings Guru for identifying discounts and promotions, and Human Connection for direct assistance from staff via the Personal Shopper service.