Woolworths bets on AI to reshape meal planning and grocery shopping
Known as My Woolies Chef, the feature has been integrated into the Woolworths mobile app and is designed to help shoppers discover recipes, plan meals and build shopping baskets through natural language conversations rather than traditional keyword searches.
The company said the assistant is built on more than two decades of content from Woolworths TASTE, enabling it to recommend recipes based on ingredients customers already have, dietary preferences, family size or specific occasions.
The rollout will begin with a limited group of MyDifference loyalty programme members from September as part of a beta phase, before a wider launch targeted for early 2027.
Unlike general-purpose AI chatbots, Woolworths said the platform has been developed specifically around its food ecosystem, combining recipe content, product information and shopping capabilities to deliver recommendations tailored to South African consumers.
Customers can ask the assistant for suggestions such as quick weekday dinners, vegetarian meals, lunchbox options or recipes using ingredients already available at home. The system then generates recommendations using Woolworths TASTE recipes while taking into account locally available products, seasonal ingredients and practical cooking considerations.
According to the retailer, the conversational interface is intended to reduce the need for customers to navigate multiple product categories or search results by allowing them to describe their requirements in everyday language.
Woolworths Group data and AI officer Jose Rodrigues said the company is focused on applying AI in ways that solve practical customer problems rather than deploying technology for its own sake.
He said the phased rollout would allow Woolworths to assess how customers use the platform, improve the quality of recommendations and refine the overall experience before making the service available to all users.
Customer feedback gathered during the beta programme will inform future enhancements and additional functionality, Rodrigues said.
The AI assistant is also integrated with Woolies DASH, allowing users to transfer ingredients from selected recipes directly into an online shopping basket. Customers can remove items they already have in their pantry or refrigerator before completing their purchase, a feature the retailer says could reduce unnecessary spending and food waste.
Looking ahead, Woolworths sees the platform evolving beyond recipe discovery to support more personalised meal planning, smarter shopping lists, budget-conscious recommendations and proactive suggestions based on customer preferences.
The launch reflects a growing trend among retailers to embed generative AI into digital commerce platforms as they seek to improve customer engagement, personalise shopping experiences and strengthen loyalty through technology-driven services.