Over the years, Google’s AI strategy for merchants has focused on streamlining content creation and personalization.

On Wednesday, the tech giant took that premise a step further with the rollout of a new set of AI tools that online sellers can use to save them from endless hours of content-tweaking and video-resizing headaches. At Google Marketing Live, Google unveiled Asset Studio, Image-to-Video, and Brand Profiles, which will all soon be available to retailers in the US.

Google’s Asset Studio is the mothership for all creative tools in Google Ads, and advertisers can use it to upgrade basic product photos to professional-level lifestyle images. Brand Profiles within Google’s Merchant Center allow retailers to define and establish their kind of website on Google.

In an exclusive chat with Retail Brew, Jenny Cheng, VP and GM of merchant shopping at Google, and Jyotika Prasad, senior director of retail ads, discussed big-picture themes and Google’s overall AI strategy for e-commerce.

“Weʼve been on this journey the last year or two to really bring in more AI into our products and tools,” Cheng said, adding that online brands of all sizes have expressed anxiety about missing out on AI advancements. With these new tools, the idea is to make businesses more productive and impactful across Google services.

“It really is about making sure that AI enables that creative partner aspect in Merchant Center, but also across Google as a whole,” Cheng said. “The bigger vision is that Merchant Center is going to be this comprehensive content hub to allow different businesses to really emphasize and show their brand.”

Keep reading here.—VC

After a strong Q1 in which increasing customer transactions fueled sales, TJX Companies, owner of TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods, says it has a plan for dealing with tariff-related inventory issues: If a certain product category becomes less available, the company will just shift availability to a different product.

CEO Ernie Herrman put it this way: “The good thing with our flexibility is, we will just take advantage of an adjacent category. We’d have a little less inventory on that and we’ll go after the ones where we think there’s more exciting value to put out there.”

This flexibility stems in part from the simplicity of TJX’s value proposition, Herrman explained.

“I always emphasize this: Our only contract to the customer is that we will have great value on the goods that we put out there, and it will be below the out-the-door price of traditional retailers, specialty retailers, etc.,” he said.

In other words, it’s all relative.

Keep reading here.—AV

Memorial Day weekend is over, and the summer is (unofficially) here. Now retailers just need to navigate a Q2 rife with uncertainty around tariffs, tax bills, geopolitical instability, and any number of other obstacles and challenges. In the meantime, here are some retail happenings to keep you busy:

In conferences: SubSummit is coming to Dallas this week from Wednesday through Friday. The industry gathering brings together 2,000-plus professionals focused on subscription, membership, and recurring revenue, from firms ranging from direct-to-consumer (DTC) startups to streaming giants. Retailers such as Albertsons, GNC, and Alibaba are sending speakers.

Keep reading here.—AV