GermanyRetail and e-commerce2025 – ongoingHornbach Holding
Macher-Assistent generative AI shopping assistant
Hornbach grew its Macher-Assistent from a 15-store pilot to nine countries
Problem
DIY customers ask detailed questions about products, stock and whether a product suits their project. Store staff and support teams answer many routine ones.
Approach
Hornbach and homie AI built the Macher-Assistent together. It answers questions in the online shop, the app, through QR codes at the shelf and on customer PCs in stores. It started as a pilot in 15 stores and later ran in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Sweden. Specialist staff were involved from the start, and Hornbach framed the tool as taking routine questions off employees.
Results
No published figures
Takeaway
A small store pilot with staff involved from day one carried the assistant into nine markets. Hornbach-specific results were not published.
Categories
- Size
- Large enterprise
- Industry
- Retail and e-commerce
- Business function
- Customer serviceMarketing and sales
- Innovation type
- Product and service innovation
- AI technology
- Generative AIConversational and voice AI
- Adoption
- Partner co-development
- Evidence
- Vendor case study
Sources
Source summaries
The supplier recaps a conference talk with two Hornbach speakers on the Macher-Assistent rollout from a 15-store pilot to nine countries. Conversion and ticket figures on the page cover all homie customers, not Hornbach, so they are not reported here.
Full details are in the original sources.