Castorama launches the first AI-based DIY conversational agent

Using the latest generative AI models, aggregated in a tool developed by the Kingfisher Group, the conversational agent provides recommendations on the choice of products and advice on DIY projects.

The first conversational agent using generative AI in the DIY sector

80% of Castorama customers start their purchasing journey online. In order to support our customers with the complexity of DIY projects and the technical nature of the products, the brand is launching the first conversational agent using generative AI technology. This intuitive research tool supports customers in their choice of products and provides them with advice and tutorials to carry out their projects. Developed in test & learn, it initially covers the field of portable electrical devices before being very quickly extended to the brand's entire catalog of products and services.

Thanks to its ease of use and speed of response, the conversational agent significantly improves the online customer experience and makes it possible to transpose the advice provided in store onto the site thanks to precise and individualized recommendations. It will also be possible, within a few weeks, to send photos so that the tool can analyze them and carry out visual searches.

“What type of drill is suitable for a novice DIYer? Which saw should I choose to cut my worktop? How do I install a worktop in my kitchen? » So many questions to which the conversational agent is capable of answering very precisely.

For Romain Roulleau, Marketing, Digital and Customer Director at Castorama: “The immediacy, availability, personalization and reliability of responses are the main assets guaranteed by Castorama with its AI-based conversational agent. This revolution on our e-commerce site will make DIY more accessible to beginners and answer the technical questions of the most experts. With this powerful new tool, Castorama wishes to support its customers remotely in all their development projects, whether it is the choice of their products or the realization of their projects. »

Artificial intelligence at the heart of the Group's innovations

The Kingfisher Group has developed a platform which aggregates several LLMs (large language models) and manages all of the conversations generated by the conversational agent. It is through this aggregator, named Athena, that Castorama was able to train its agent and guarantee the protection of its own data as well as that of its customers. Athena also includes moderation functionality to manage sensitive or inappropriate content, ensuring the best AI customer experiences.

To implement its conversational agent, Castorama relied on the expertise of Razorfish, the digital agency of the Publicis Group, to imagine the use case based on user needs, design the digital experience and interface of the new service, develop a Prototype which was tested by Castorama users and experts before being put into production on the Kingfisher Group's Athena platform.

For Stéphany Niogret, Deputy General Director at Razorfish France: “A brand like Castorama, which is among the first in France to test and launch new services based on AI to improve the experience of its users, will be ready to face the current revolution of generative AI and its speed of development. 'evolution. »

The Castorama conversational agent can subsequently be extended to other brands in the Kingfisher Group. Through this tool, the Group demonstrates its ability to innovate and wishes to invest and explore the multiple possibilities offered by the considerable potential of its Athena platform and LLMs.