Woolworths has launched a revamped version of its AI chatbot Olive, aiming to help shoppers save money at the checkout and time spent on their weekly shop.
The virtual shopping assistant, which Woolies says will "take the hassle out of the weekly shop", can now create a personalised shopping basket, suggest items on special and help you plan events like birthday parties and Christmas lunch.
So what’s the catch? Right now, Olive is only available on the Woolworths app, so you’ll have to create a Woolies account to use it. Once you’re logged in, the app will use your regular purchases to build a ‘smart basket’ for you every time you shop, so you can add all items to your cart automatically or remove items as needed.
Olive can also:
- Create weekly meal plans and provide recipes
- Show you ‘smart swaps’ (items on special or cheaper brands)
- Read hand-written shopping lists and add items to your cart
- Scan a photo of your pantry and suggest recipes based on what’s inside.
While these updates can help save time, shoppers will need to carefully review items in their cart to make sure they’re not buying items they don’t actually want or need.
A Woolies spokesperson told Canstar it’s up to customers to make sure the right items are going in their basket.
"While Olive can suggest products and build a basket, customers remain in complete control, and must review and approve all items before checkout," they said.
Will Olive reduce your grocery bill?
While Olive can suggest cheaper items for you, it doesn’t mean you’re getting the best deal out there.
The coffee beans you regularly buy that Olive added to your basket might be half price at Coles this week. You might also get better value by buying different beans in bulk at Costco.
Canstar’s Consumer Editor Meagan Lawrence says that with grocery prices still high across the board, comparing prices between supermarkets is the smartest way to save.
"Olive will suggest specials and swaps to reduce your bill at the checkout, but remember that these prices only compare against Woolworths’ own products, not against other supermarkets," she says.
Aussies should remember that AI shopping assistants like Olive are tools, not guaranteed solutions to bigger savings.
“Woolies is the first supermarket to provide AI like this to customers and it likely won’t be the last,” Ms Lawrence said.
“It’s important shoppers remember to use these tools to benefit their own budgets, not the supermarkets’ bottom line.
"If you really want to shop smart, do your own cost comparisons between supermarkets to find savings."
Is your data safe?
With the recent security breaches at Origin Energy, Medibank and Qantas, data security is front of mind for many Aussies.
Woolies says it has put new guardrails in place, in line with its existing safety and privacy requirements, to ensure customer information is protected. It also confirmed it doesn’t store images shoppers share of their pantries or hand-written shopping lists.
What to look out for when using Olive
When announcing the upgraded version of Olive, Woolworths Group Chief Digital & Analytics Officer Amitabh Mall said it was “a massive step forward that will change how people shop” with the supermarket. However, customers still need to be mindful about how they’re using the AI tool.
- 'Smart swaps' and 'smart additions' may not be smart: Olive can suggest cheaper options based on the products Woolies sells. However, you may be able to get a cheaper version at a different supermarket. Always compare prices before adding to cart.
- Recurring item suggestions can lock in expensive habits: Automatically adding your regular purchases to your basket can be helpful, but it can mean missing out on better offers. Always ask Olive to show you items on special rather than automatically adding your regular brands to your cart.
- ‘Complete control’ still requires active review, not passive approval: Woolworths says customers remain in control of how Olive is used. However, with much of Olive’s value anchored in reducing the time it takes to complete your shop, it is easy for complacency to kick in. Review Olive’s suggestions before finalising your order to ensure you’re not buying things you don’t need or spending more than necessary.
