Target set to launch first-ever curated shopping experience in ChatGPT

Target is set to launch a new shopping experience with an advanced AI chatbot, ChatGPT, as part of its ongoing efforts to leverage AI to enhance the customer journey.

Launching in time for the holiday season, the new Target app in ChatGPT will offer a full shopping experience, where customers will be able to browse and purchase multiple products in a single transaction.

Reimagining AI-powered shopping as a conversational and curated experience, users will also be able to shop for fresh food products,  select drive-up, and select pickup or shipping fulfillment options. In addition, users will later be able to ask for personalized recommendations, browse and build baskets from across Target’s full assortment, and buy in one seamless transaction through their Target account. 

“At Target, everything starts with the guest, and that means meeting them wherever they are, including emerging spaces like ChatGPT, where millions of consumers visit,” said Prat Vemana, executive vice president and chief information and product officer, Target, in a statement.

“We’re proud to be one of the first retailers bringing shopping into this new channel, partnering with OpenAI to make discovery through the Target app in ChatGPT as easy and joyful as browsing our aisles. Our goal is simple: make every interaction feel as natural, helpful, and inspiring as chatting with a friend.”

Target to be one of the first retailers to introduce shopping via ChatGPT

“A big part of the AI transformation is happening inside enterprises, and Target is a great example of what that shift looks like when it’s done with ambition and speed. We’re excited to work with Target as they weave intelligence throughout their business to create useful and joyful experiences for their customers and their employees,” said Fidji Simo, CEO of Applications at OpenAI, in a statement.

Over the next coming weeks, the Target experience in ChatGPT is set to continue to evolve as the retail giant enhances it with additional features, from linking Target Circle accounts to offering same-day delivery.

The development comes as a recent Harris Poll found that close to half of Gen Z consumers said they would trust AI to help select what they buy, from clothing and skincare to everyday essentials, underlining how rapidly AI is forming the way consumers shop and discover new products.

Target Corporation’s partnership with OpenAI is part of its broader technology investment aimed at elevating and enhancing the consumer experience, alongside team members' and vendor partners’ operations.

Target employees throughout the retail organization are leveraging ChatGPT Enterprise, built specifically to work with the company’s internal data, to accelerate tasks, streamline processes, and free up time for innovative thinking. Outside of this, Target incorporates AI throughout its business operations, applying it to areas like optimizing supply chain predictions, making in-store procedures more efficient, and tailoring online shopping experiences to individual customers.

“Technology is helping define Target as a company that doesn’t just use AI, but runs on AI,” Vemana said. “It’s enabling faster response to trends, powering guest interactions with more ease and joy, and giving teams intelligent tools that reduce friction so they can focus on what matters most: serving our guests.”