Target to bring shopping to ChatGPT in OpenAI partnership

Target will let shoppers browse and buy products directly in ChatGPT, becoming one of the first major retailers to turn the AI chatbot into a shopping platform, the company said Wednesday.

Why it matters: The launch marks another step in the rise of "agentic commerce," where AI anticipates what shoppers need — and checks out on their behalf.

• The debut comes during Thanksgiving and Black Friday week — one of the year's biggest shopping periods — giving Target a chance to showcase how AI could streamline gift buying and holiday planning.

Driving the news: The Target app in ChatGPT, launching in beta next week, lets users build baskets, buy multiple items in one transaction and choose pickup, drive-up or shipping.

• They can shop fresh food and receive curated product suggestions and personalized recommendations.
• Target's news comes a month after Walmart unveiled its own OpenAI partnership, underscoring how quickly big-box rivals are moving to embed AI into everyday shopping.

What they're saying: Fiddelke said on a media call with reporters that the partnership with OpenAI will help Target stay ahead of how customers want to shop.

• "We need to be at the forefront of how the consumer is going to shop — and that means we get to the forefront of technology," he said.

Between the lines: Target already uses AI to forecast demand, help employees, streamline supply chains and power product design.

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