Schnucks Debuts AI Shopping Assistant, Interactive Weekly Ad
St. Louis-based grocer Schnuck Markets Inc. unveiled two digital upgrades on Aug. 12 that should make the shopping experience a bit more convenient for customers.
Shoppers using the Schnucks Rewards app or schnucks.com now have access to an agentic AI assistant built with health tech partner VitalityIP, alongside a redesigned interactive weekly ad that lets customers clip coupons and build carts directly from sale pages.
The new assistant builds on more than six billion lines of shopping, health and nutrition data, developed jointly by Schnucks and VitalityIP using real customer behavior and live store inventory. Rather than acting as a glorified search tool, the assistant is designed to hold something closer to a running conversation with shoppers about their food needs, Schnucks COO Ted Schnuck said.
"This agent will allow us to better understand each customer's unique wants and needs — helping to build stronger relationships with them by providing tailored solutions such as meal ideas, health and dietary support, budget management and culinary inspiration," Schnuck said.
In practice, the grocer says the tool can handle a range of everyday shopping headaches. It can build shopping lists that satisfy particular palates, complete with aisle locations for each ingredient at their specific store, and offer nutritional guidance for shoppers managing chronic conditions or sticking to a diet. The assistant can also hunt for deals and build meals based on what's already in your pantry.
"Shoppers want a personalized experience and are asking more from their food — better choices for their health, their families and their goals," said Sarah Hoit, co-founder and CEO of VitalityIP. "The platform we developed with Schnucks puts that power of precision nutrition right where people shop."
Alongside the AI launch, Schnucks' weekly ad refresh includes several features aimed at cutting down on time spent hunting for deals. Tapping any item tied to a Schnucks Rewards event surfaces every related sale item in one place, and a built-in search bar lets shoppers check whether a specific product is on sale, with filters for brand, category and deal type.
The app also flags when an item qualifies for a Rewards Boost, letting customers activate it or track their progress without leaving the ad. Shoppers can toggle between browsing for in-store pickup and browsing for Schnucks Delivers/Curbside Pickup.
For those feeling nostalgic, a classic, non-interactive version of the ad remains available for those who prefer it, along with an early look at the following week’s deals.
"We've upgraded our weekly ad to make shopping easier than ever," said Schnucks Digital Marketing Director Cristina Preston. "Customers can now easily clip digital coupons directly from the ad, add items to their shopping list or Schnucks Delivers/Curbside electronic cart and view comprehensive product details all with a tap of their finger or a click of the mouse."
Printed versions of both the current week's ad and next week's preview will still be stocked in stores, so the interactive rollout supplements rather than replaces the paper format.
This article was originally published on P2PI sibling brand Progressive Grocer.
