The end of voice commerce at Albert Heijn: the supermarket chain has discontinued its app for Google Assistant. The test was unsuccessful and will not be continued. However, Belgian competitor Colruyt will continue with the speech technology.
Competitors continue
Dutch shoppers can no longer dictate their shopping list for Albert Heijn on their smartphone. The Dutch retailer is pulling the plug on its mobile app for Google Assistant, the search engine’s voice assistant. Two years ago AH was one of the first companies in the Netherlands to start using it, just like its sister company bol.com and rival Jumbo. However, it was a test, the supermarket chain now confirms to Tweakers, and it ended on 2 November. There will be no follow-up and the app is no longer active.
Other retailers will continue with Google Assistant. Belgian chain Colruyt launched a test with around a hundred users at the beginning of 2019, and the application can now be downloaded for both iPhone and mobile Google devices (including smart speakers and smartwatches). Via the voice assistants, customers can add products to their shopping list by voice, request recipes and receive assistance with cooking.
In France, consumers can “talk” with Carrefour. Since June of this year, customers are able to place online orders directly, simply by using their voice. According to the retailer, 46% of people in France already use voice technology.
