Pick n Pay asap!, South Africa's leading on-demand grocery platform, has unveiled Penny, the country's first fully integrated AI-powered grocery shopping companion, with a public rollout commencing 6 July 2026. The generative AI assistant eliminates manual product searches by allowing customers to speak, type, or share photos to build grocery baskets instantly. Penny is built on Google's Gemini AI models and integrates with the Smart Shopper loyalty program, positioning Pick n Pay as a pioneer in conversation-led shopping within the local e-commerce space.
Pick n Pay Partners with Google for Gemini AI Integration
Penny is built on Google's advanced Gemini AI models, utilizing multimodal capabilities that allow customers to interact through voice notes in any language, typed text, or uploaded images. Kabelo Makwane, Country Director for Google South Africa, stated that the integration represents the era of AI assistants where AI moves beyond answering questions to helping people get things done. Enrico Ferigolli, Retail Executive: Omnichannel at Pick n Pay, emphasized that the innovation moves shopping from search-and-scroll to conversation-led ordering, making buying groceries faster and more intuitive.
Penny Offers Voice, Text, and Image-Based Shopping Features
Designed around South African shopping habits, Penny assists with weekly bulk shops, quick top-ups, meal planning, and entertainment. Customers can shop conversationally in multiple languages, dictate shopping lists using voice notes, upload photos of handwritten shopping lists or recipe ingredient lists, snap products they want to reorder, photograph ingredients in their fridge and ask for meal ideas, request recipes and instantly add all ingredients to their basket, suggest ingredient substitutions, and plan meals while managing budgets. For repeat shoppers, Penny simplifies replenishment by allowing customers to reload their usual weekly basket or reorder a previous shop with a single request. Ferigolli noted that customers no longer need to search through various categories or know exact product names.
Smart Shopper Loyalty Program Enables Personalized Recommendations
Penny integrates with the Smart Shopper loyalty program to personalize product recommendations based on individual preferences including quantity, brand, and price. The AI analyzes past purchases and shopping habits to make each interaction more relevant. Ferigolli stated that by understanding what customers are cooking, buying, and planning, Penny becomes a genuine shopping companion that makes grocery shopping dramatically faster and simpler.
Penny Launches to All asap! App Users on 6 July 2026
The Penny AI assistant will be available to all Pick n Pay asap! app users starting 6 July 2026 in the latest app version. The launch follows the recent replatforming of the asap! infrastructure across both front and back end, which Ferigolli said significantly accelerated the speed of development and gives the company the ability to bring new AI-powered innovations to customers much faster.
FAQ
What is Penny and when does it launch?
Penny is Pick n Pay asap!'s AI-powered grocery shopping assistant built on Google Gemini AI models. The public rollout commences 6 July 2026 for all asap! app users.
How does Penny allow customers to shop?
Penny allows customers to shop conversationally through voice notes in any language, typed text, or uploaded images. Customers can dictate shopping lists, upload photos of handwritten lists or recipes, snap products to reorder, photograph fridge ingredients for meal ideas, and request recipes with instant basket additions.
