Kohl’s AI retail tools preview what Big Lots workers may soon use

Kohl’s newest AI tools point to a shift that matters far beyond one chain’s website: retail technology is moving from a customer novelty into a system that can shape how store work gets assigned, measured and coached.

The company launched a Gift Finder built with Google Cloud’s Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience. Shoppers can describe who they are shopping for, upload images, review product details and add items to a cart inside the chat. Kohl’s says the tool is aimed at budget-conscious customers, planners and last-minute buyers, the exact kind of traffic that often lands on store associates when someone walks in needing a fast answer.

Kohl’s is also using AI behind the scenes. The retailer said it built an internal analytics tool powered by Google Cloud’s Conversational Analytics in Looker, giving teams a more conversational way to compare product trends and explore what might be driving sales results. Google Cloud unveiled Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience at NRF 2026 in January, describing it as a way to bring shopping and customer service into one interface with agents that can be deployed quickly. That suggests Kohl’s is building a broader retail stack, not just a one-off chatbot, with tools aimed at both shoppers and employees.

For Big Lots workers, the comparison lands at a sensitive moment. Big Lots filed for Chapter 11 on September 9, 2024, in Delaware after severe restructuring pressure. Gordon Brothers later said its purchase helped facilitate a going-concern sale that preserved the Big Lots brand and kept hundreds of stores operating, while Variety Wholesalers said it acquired 219 Big Lots stores and two distribution centers. Reporting in April 2025 said 132 stores were set to reopen in May across 14 states. That history matters because the chain that emerged is far leaner than the one that entered bankruptcy.

A smaller footprint usually means tighter labor expectations, faster decision-making and more pressure to do more with fewer people. That is where retail AI now shows its real impact. Tools like Kohl’s internal analytics system are being positioned as aids for store associates and managers, helping them access product information, inventory details and customer trends faster instead of digging through multiple systems. Big Lots has already emphasized tools meant to improve associate productivity and customer insights, which makes Kohl’s rollout a practical preview of how everyday work on the sales floor could change. The next wave of retail AI may not just help customers find gifts. It may also decide which tasks get tracked, which conversations get prompted and which parts of store labor become visible to management in real time.