Is AI personalization the new battlefield in home improvement retail after Behr’s ChatHUE?

Behr Paint Company, a leading premium paints and stains manufacturer under Masco Corporation (NYSE: MAS), has taken a bold step into artificial intelligence with the launch of ChatHUE, an AI-powered color recommendation tool developed in collaboration with Google Cloud. Announced on July 16, 2025, the tool is designed to address one of the most significant consumer pain points in home improvement—choosing the right paint color. Behr’s internal research indicates that 40% of consumers find selecting a color to be the hardest step in a paint project, while an equal percentage delay or abandon their projects entirely due to indecision. By combining proprietary color performance data with Google Cloud’s Gemini, Vertex AI, BigQuery, and Cloud Run, Behr aims to turn this friction into a seamless, confidence-driven purchase experience.

How could AI-powered tools like ChatHUE shift competitive strategies in home improvement retail in 2025?

The launch of ChatHUE underscores how personalization is emerging as a key battleground in home improvement retail. For decades, paint companies have marketed curated color palettes and trend collections, but these offerings have remained largely generic. By using generative AI to create real-time, user-specific recommendations, Behr is attempting to deliver an experience that mirrors personal consultation. Analysts view this as an important shift from static marketing to data-driven guidance, noting that similar personalization models have already proven successful in apparel, beauty, and furniture retail.

Competitive pressure is expected to intensify. Major paint rivals like Sherwin-Williams and PPG Industries have invested heavily in marketing and in-store color visualization tools, but none have yet unveiled a generative AI tool that can learn from individual consumer preferences and guide purchases conversationally. If ChatHUE drives even a modest lift in purchase conversions or shortens the time between selection and buying, competitors may be forced to fast-track similar solutions. In parallel, large home improvement retailers like Lowe’s and Home Depot—both of which have experimented with AR-based design apps and chatbot support—could integrate comparable AI personalization engines to maintain customer engagement.

From a technology perspective, Google Cloud’s involvement is significant. By applying its Gemini model and Vertex AI within a consumer-facing retail tool, Google is positioning itself as a partner of choice for traditional brands looking to integrate AI into highly tactile buying decisions. Institutional observers suggest that if Behr’s initiative succeeds, it could serve as a template for other home improvement categories, from flooring and countertops to lighting and garden décor.

The strategic relevance for Behr and Masco goes beyond immediate sales. Analysts believe that personalization tools can strengthen brand loyalty in a market where consumers often stick with a single trusted brand for future projects. By solving a pain point that has long deterred first-time DIY buyers, Behr could also expand its addressable market to include hesitant homeowners who would otherwise avoid major paint projects.

Looking ahead, Behr is widely expected to expand ChatHUE beyond its current consumer-facing format, with industry analysts already speculating on multiple next-stage use cases. One of the most likely developments involves augmented reality (AR) integration for mobile apps, enabling users to virtually paint walls and surfaces in real time before making a purchase. Such AR overlays, combined with AI-powered recommendations, could deliver a highly immersive experience that goes beyond static color visualizers currently offered by most paint brands. This evolution would place Behr in direct competition with technology-driven home improvement platforms that are experimenting with similar features, but with the added advantage of proprietary color science data refined through generative AI.

Another expected advancement is the deployment of in-store kiosks offering real-time color suggestions, a move that could reshape the physical retail experience. Traditionally, paint aisles have been overwhelming for many customers, with hundreds of swatches and minimal staff guidance. A kiosk that remembers user preferences, cross-references room lighting conditions, and provides AI-backed combinations could shorten decision-making times significantly. Analysts believe that if executed well, these kiosks could also influence impulse purchases, especially in large-format stores like Home Depot or Lowe’s, which already prioritize self-service technology.

On the professional side, contractor-facing dashboards and trend-analysis tools are being discussed as potentially transformative. For professional painters and interior designers, speed and trend accuracy are critical in winning client approvals and maintaining project timelines. By offering AI-generated palettes tailored to market trends, room dimensions, and even regional preferences, Behr could position ChatHUE as a professional-grade design assistant rather than just a consumer tool. This shift would also open the door to B2B revenue streams, as contractors might choose Behr over rivals if the technology helps them close deals faster.

If these advanced features are deployed, generative AI would move from being a marketing add-on to becoming a core layer of customer interaction. In that scenario, AI personalization would no longer be a differentiator but a baseline expectation, much like AR try-ons have become in fashion e-commerce. Home improvement retailers and paint manufacturers without comparable tools could risk losing relevance as consumers and professionals grow accustomed to interactive, guided purchase journeys. Some analysts even suggest that paint brands might eventually license their AI engines to retailers, turning technology into an additional revenue channel.

By anchoring its future strategy on AI, Behr has effectively positioned itself at the intersection of home improvement retail, design technology, and consumer data science. Should ChatHUE demonstrate measurable success, it could accelerate a wider industry shift where AI-driven personalization becomes as crucial to selling paint as product quality and price competitiveness.