Loyalty360 Reads: Pinterest Launches AI Shopping Assistant App, 3M introduces Ask 3M AI Service, and Albertsons Teams with Criteo on Sponsored Product Discovery Offering

Pinterest’s AI Shopping Push Signals a New Era of Discovery 

Key takeaways: 

• Pinterest is expanding beyond traditional search and inspiration into AI-guided shopping experiences. 

• The new Ask Pinterest app uses user preference data and visual insights to deliver more personalized recommendations. 

• Competition in AI-powered commerce is intensifying as retailers and platforms invest heavily in conversational shopping tools. 

Pinterest is accelerating its transformation from an inspiration platform to AI-powered shopping companion with the launch of Ask Pinterest, an experimental app designed to make product discovery more conversational, personalized, and visual, as Retail Dive reports. By combining AI with its deep understanding of user preferences and visual interests, Pinterest is betting that the future of commerce will be driven by intelligent assistants that help consumers explore, evaluate, and purchase products more naturally. As retailers and platforms race to integrate agentic AI into the shopping experience, success will depend not only on delivering convenience and relevance, but also on addressing growing consumer concerns around privacy and data usage, according to Retail Dive. 

Why it matters: 

• Consumers are increasingly expecting shopping experiences to feel personalized, intuitive, and interactive. 

• AI-powered discovery could reshape how brands connect with customers throughout the purchase journey. 

• Trust will become a key differentiator as shoppers weigh the benefits of personalization against concerns about data privacy. 

Learn more here.

3M Brings AI-Powered Expertise Directly to Industrial Customers 

Key takeaways: 

• 3M has launched an AI-powered assistant that provides direct access to technical product and application knowledge. 

• The platform enables users to compare materials, troubleshoot challenges, and identify appropriate solutions through natural-language conversations. 

• Responses are based on validated 3M documentation and expertise rather than information sourced from the open web. 

3M is reimagining how industrial customers access technical expertise with the launch of Ask 3M, a conversational AI assistant designed to help engineers, manufacturers, and procurement teams quickly find product information, compare materials, and solve application challenges. Unlike general-purpose AI tools, Ask 3M is grounded in verified company documentation and product knowledge, giving users a trusted self-service resource for evaluating solutions and making decisions faster. The move reflects a growing trend among B2B organizations to use AI not only to improve customer service, but also to scale specialized expertise and streamline complex purchasing and engineering workflows. 

Why it matters: 

• AI is transforming B2B customer experiences by making specialized expertise available on demand. 

• Self-service access to technical knowledge can reduce research time and accelerate decision-making for engineering and operations teams. 

• Trusted, domain-specific AI tools may become a competitive advantage as companies look to scale customer support and technical consulting capabilities. 

Learn more here.

Albertsons Bets on Conversational Commerce to Transform the Shopper Journey 

Key takeaways: 

• Albertsons is incorporating sponsored product discovery into its AI-powered conversational shopping experience through a partnership with Criteo. 

• Brands can engage shoppers earlier in the decision-making process as customers seek inspiration, meal ideas, and product recommendations. 

• The experience is designed to blend advertising with conversational product discovery in a way that feels relevant and useful. 

The next evolution of retail media is moving beyond search results and display ads into AI-powered conversations. Albertsons Media Collective’s new integration with Criteo brings sponsored products directly into its conversational shopping experience, allowing brands to engage shoppers as they plan meals, discover products, and build grocery baskets. As consumers increasingly use AI assistants to explore options rather than search for specific items, retailers are creating new opportunities for advertisers to appear in moments of intent and influence purchase decisions more naturally.  

Why it matters: 

• AI-powered shopping assistants are creating new consumer touchpoints that extend beyond traditional search and e-commerce experiences. 

• Retail media networks are evolving to capture shopper intent during planning and discovery, not just at the point of purchase. 

• Brands that adapt to conversational commerce will have new opportunities to influence decisions and drive measurable business outcomes. 

Learn more here.