UK retailer implements Vertex AI Search for Commerce to cut failed searches by 95%, increase click-through rates by 10%, and enhance the customer experience for trade and DIY shoppers
LONDON, July 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Google Cloud today announced it is partnering with Toolstation, one of the UK’s fastest-growing suppliers of tools and building materials, to transform its digital commerce experience with artificial intelligence. By implementing Google Cloud’s Vertex AI Search for Commerce, supported by Gemini models, Toolstation is better able to understand and serve its trade and DIY customers, a move that has already driven a 5.5% increase in search-based revenue and a 10% lift in click-through rates.
With a large portion of its business driven through its website and app, Toolstation recognised a strategic opportunity to create a best-in-class product discovery journey. The company sought to solve a core challenge in its industry: interpreting the complex, trade-specific slang and synonyms its customers use to find products – terms which often led to irrelevant results and required thousands of manual workarounds.
“To be the best partner for our trade customers, our digital storefront needs to be as knowledgeable as our most experienced in-store colleagues,” said Rob Contreras, Head of Innovation at Toolstation. “Collaborating with Google Cloud has been about more than just implementing new technology; it’s also been strategic to fundamentally understand customer intent. Vertex AI Search for Commerce allows us to deliver a truly intelligent experience that not only drives significant commercial results but also builds deeper trust and loyalty with our customers.”
The impact of the AI-powered solution was immediate and far-reaching. The platform’s advanced capabilities led to a 95% reduction in failed searches, with queries yielding no results dropping to just 0.1%. This directly improved the customer journey and contributed to a 2% increase in returning customers, signaling stronger loyalty.
“The success of modern retail is built on the ability to understand and instantly respond to a customer’s needs, and Vertex AI Search for Commerce, built with our Gemini models, is designed to do just that,” said Maureen Costello, Vice President, UKI and SSA, Google Cloud. “Toolstation’s challenge of deciphering specialized customer language is a perfect example. The platform is not just matching keywords; it is also understanding intent at a deep level. This translates directly into better customer journeys, increased loyalty, and tangible business growth. We are thrilled to collaborate with Toolstation to help them build the future of retail.”
Building on this success, Toolstation is extending the benefits of Google Cloud’s AI offerings across its business. The company has integrated Vertex AI Search for Commerce into its customer contact center and in-store tills and has migrated its entire product discovery suite—including browse, recommendations, and personalization features—to the platform. This creates a unified, intelligent technology stack to power future growth and innovation.
About Toolstation
Toolstation is one of Britain’s fastest growing suppliers of tools, accessories and building supplies to the trade, home improvers, and self-builders. With a multi-channel offering, Toolstation customers can buy online, at over 550 stores across the UK and through its dedicated UK call center.
About Google Cloud
Google Cloud is the new way to the cloud, providing AI, infrastructure, developer, data, security, and collaboration tools built for today and tomorrow. Google Cloud offers a powerful, fully integrated and optimised AI stack with its own planet-scale infrastructure, custom-built chips, generative AI models and development platform, as well as AI-powered applications, to help organisations transform. Customers in more than 200 countries and territories turn to Google Cloud
Editor notes
Stats from the collaboration:
- 5.5% increase in overall search-based revenue.
- 10% increase in click-through rate from search results.
- 95% reduction in failed searches, with the percentage of searches yielding no results dropping from 2% to just 0.1%.
- 30% reduction in customers reporting irrelevant search results.
- 2% increase in returning customers, signaling improved loyalty.
SOURCE Google Cloud