Target is going bold this holiday season. The retail giant teamed up with OpenAI to create a new app within ChatGPT that will allow users to shop directly through the AI chatbot—and it comes out next week, right before Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
It’s a risky move. Target is introducing the app during its busiest time of year, so there are plenty of opportunities for things to go wrong.
Still, the Minneapolis, Minnesota-based retailer seems desperate for a win right now. In its most recent earnings call, Target reported that its profit dipped from $854 million, or $1.85 per share, to $689 million, or $1.51 per share, from 2024 to 2025. The retailer said that it predicts that sales will continue to slow throughout the holiday season.
Once Target’s ChatGPT app launches in beta next week, shoppers can “ask for ideas, browse and build multi-item baskets, shop for fresh food, and check out” through the chatbot, according to the press release. They can chose to ship their order, pick it up in person, or receive it via drive-through.
“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,” Prat Vemana, the retailer’s executive vice president and chief information and product officer, said in the press release.
ChatGPT users can try out the features, according to the press release, by tagging the Target app within the chatbot and prompting it with a message like, “Help me plan a family holiday movie night.” It’ll then generate several product ideas which the shopper can add to their cart and check out using their Target account.
Before long, the press release adds, “Target will add new features like Target Circle linking and same-day delivery” that’ll make shopping through its ChatGPT app even easier.
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Annabel Burba
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