Retailer Target announced Tuesday that it will now use OpenAI’s ChatGPT bot to respond to customer questions when prompted.
Customers can open a ChatGPT prompt and type “Target” to get responses from the retailer. Then they can add suggested products to their cart and check out with Target all within the ChatGPT interface.
“We wanted to make it easier to shop by taking the pressure off needing to know exactly what you want or having to sift through an endless number of search results,” Target’s VP of UX Design Purvi Shah said in a statement.
“So now a guest can ask a broad conversational question, and Target will respond with those curated, relevant, on-point ideas, and we might even suggest things that you didn’t even know that you needed,” Shah added.
This announcement from Target follows the launch of shopping research from OpenAI. As of Monday, ChatGPT users can compare products from dozens of sites. However, that feature “is designed to be transparent and helpful” as “chats are never shared with retailers,” according to a press release.
Target’s feature will provide accurate information on the prices and availability of its products, a detail that ChatGPT’s shopping research cannot guarantee.
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“We encourage you to visit the merchant site for the most accurate details,” OpenAI wrote of the shopping research function.
With the Thanksgiving holiday three days away, shoppers are gearing up for the season of gift-giving. Target is closed on Thanksgiving, but has launched promotional deals for its Black Friday Sale online. Target stores will open at 6 a.m. Friday for the retail holiday.
