ChatGPT is adding a new app this week that lets you search, discover, and buy products from Target directly within the chatbot. The news follows OpenAI’s launch last month of dedicated retail apps to ChatGPT, beginning with Canva, Coursera, Figma, Expedia, Spotify, and Zillow.
Here's how it'll work:
- A user can tag the Target app in ChatGPT and say something like, “Help me plan my 2 year old's bee themed birthday party.”
- ChatGPT will share curated ideas for products like bee-themed cups, plates, and decorations.
- The user can browse through the options, build a basket, and check out through their Target account.
- During checkout, they can choose whether to get the items shipped to their homes or pick it up at the store or at the curb.
- OpenAI says that the ability to link your Target Circle account and get same-day delivery is also in the works, but won't be available immediately after launch.
Here's what we don't know yet:
- Is Target participating in ChatGPT's Instant Checkout feature alongside Etsy, Walmart, and Shopify? Or will shopping at Target be limited to its app within ChatGPT?
- Will Target products automatically appear in ChatGPT shopping answers without specifically calling the Target app?
- Is multi-cart checkout coming to ChatGPT across the board? Or just with this Target app for now? The ability to add multiple items to your cart when shopping via ChatGPT's Instant Checkout feature is still labeled as “coming soon,” but is advertised as a feature with the new Target app.
The ambiguity of the announcements leads me to understand that OpenAI has two distinct shopping-related programs happening: 1) Instant Checkout, and 2) ChatGPT Apps, and that they don't necessarily always overlap. This could be wrong, but I wasn't able to find any information stating otherwise. However we'll find out this week when the Target app rolls out if / how the two worlds overlap.
And if the answer is “No, Target products won't appear in shopping answers outside the Target app,” I'll inevitably have to ask — why not? ChatGPT Apps have barely launched, and I don't imagine that they've been widely adopted by users yet. Why wouldn't Target instead participate in ChatGPT's Instant Checkout feature like Walmart instead of asking users to call on a dedicated app?
Prior to this e-commerce partnership, Target and OpenAI have had an existing working relationship built around Target's use of ChatGPT Enterprise to power some of its employee operations. For example:
- Target’s Agent Assist and Store Companion help teams in service centers and stores with help price matching (although only against Target online now), initiating a return, and other tasks. Does it remind the employees to smile at customers? 😂
- Target’s Shopping Assistant and Gift Finder use AI-powered conversational and recommendation tools to simplify browsing and help guests find personalized gift suggestions based on the recipient’s interests, age, or occasion.
- Guest Assist and JOY solutions help Target guests and vendor partners resolve issues.
In other OpenAI app news this week… the company joined forces with Intuit in a multi-year partnership to use OpenAI models across TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks, and MailChimp. The models will help power select Intuit AI agents for tasks like cash-flow forecasting, tax preparation, and payroll management. Great idea everyone to give OpenAI all your user data and proprietary information! So far they've been excellent stewards of IP.