Target launches app in ChatGPT and expands AI across its stores | Keryc
OpenAI and Target announce a partnership that moves the shopping experience inside ChatGPT. Can you imagine planning a movie night and ending with your cart ready and payment done without leaving the chat? That's exactly what they're proposing: personalized recommendations, multi-item carts and delivery options like Drive Up, Order Pickup or shipping.
What the partnership announces
The most visible change is Target's new app inside ChatGPT, which goes into beta next week, according to OpenAI. With it, customers will be able to:
Receive personalized recommendations and conversational suggestions.
Build carts with multiple products and browse options including fresh groceries.
Pay and choose between Drive Up, Order Pickup or shipping.
Additionally, Target will continue using OpenAI's APIs and ChatGPT Enterprise to boost team productivity and improve guest experiences. According to OpenAI, Target joins more than 1 million enterprise customers using their models.
Target brings shopping to the chat: discover, build your cart and choose how to receive it — all with a conversational experience.
What this means for you as a customer
Tired of hunting for gifts or comparing options? The app aims to simplify that. Ask for ideas — for example, "help me plan a family movie night" — and you'll get a curated selection: blankets, snacks, candles, slippers. You browse options, pick items, add them to the cart and complete the purchase with your Target account.
This isn't just convenience. It's practical personalization: suggestions based on what you're looking for, the occasion and your preferences. Soon they'll also add features like linking with Target Circle and same-day delivery.
What it means for employees and operations
Target isn't just putting AI in front of customers; it's using it internally to move the business. A few key points:
ChatGPT Enterprise is already deployed at headquarters and used by 18,000 employees to cut repetitive work and speed up creative tasks.
Tools like Agent Assist and Store Companion help teams in service centers and stores: they answer questions, start returns and even do price matches quickly.
Solutions such as Shopping Assistant and Gift Finder help discover products through conversational recommendations.
JOY, trained on more than 3,000 FAQs, assists sellers and support patterns instantly.
On the operations side, AI supports better supply-chain forecasting, streamlines in-store processes and powers more personalized digital experiences.
Why this partnership matters at retail scale
Because Target isn't just testing AI: it's integrating it into products, operations and daily workflows. That makes the difference between automating tasks and augmenting service: faster responses for customers and more time for employees to do work that requires human judgment.
OpenAI puts it this way: "A big part of the AI transformation is happening inside enterprises..." And Target complements that with a vision to put the guest at the center, bringing the experience to new channels.
Risks and questions worth following
Not everything is magic: when you shop and share information in a conversational environment, legitimate questions arise.
Privacy: OpenAI highlights that Target uses ChatGPT Enterprise, designed to work with proprietary data; still, you should check how your payment info and preferences are handled.
Accuracy: recommendations and product availability need to sync well with real-time inventory to avoid frustrations.
Human experience: AI speeds tasks up, but it's important to keep human support available when situations require it.
Quick practical example
Imagine you add the Target app in ChatGPT and type: "Help me put together a set for a kids' birthday party." Within seconds you get a suggested list: decorations, themed plates, snacks and a toy. You can adjust quantities, add everything to the cart and choose in-store pickup. That's the promise: conversational discovery through to checkout without switching windows.
In the end, the interesting part isn't just buying in a chat, it's that Target is using AI on multiple levels: the customer-facing layer, internal operations and supplier collaboration. That changes how a big chain thinks about service and efficiency.
