OpenAI and Target team up on new AI-powered experiences

Key takeaways: 

• With the Target app in ChatGPT, customers will be able to get personalized recommendations, add everything they need to a cart with multi-item baskets, and check out using Drive Up, Order Pickup, or shipping. 
• Under the partnership, Target will continue using OpenAI APIs and ChatGPT Enterprise to boost employee productivity and enhance Target’s guest experiences. 
• Target joins a growing roster of more than 1 million OpenAI business customers leveraging OpenAI models to support core products and platforms.

The partnership between Target and OpenAI is growing, with a new Target app in ChatGPT and continued use of frontier models that help teams move faster and smarter, and deliver great guest experiences.

Target’s work with OpenAI is part of a larger strategy to use technology that elevates the experience for guests, team members, and vendor partners. It supports Target’s goal of weaving AI throughout the business—making guest interactions simpler and more joyful, and giving teams smart tools that cut friction from everyday work.

“A big part of the AI transformation is happening inside enterprises, and Target is a great example of what that shift looks like when it’s done with ambition and speed,” said Fidji Simo, CEO of Applications, OpenAI. “We're excited to work with Target as they weave intelligence throughout their business to create useful and joyful experiences for their customers and their employees."

As part of this effort, Target will continue relying on ChatGPT Enterprise—built to work safely with its proprietary data—to move faster, cut through busywork, and give teams more room to be creative. It’s now been rolled out across Target headquarters and used by 18,000 employees. 

AI is being woven into how Target builds and operates. It supports⁠(opens in a new window) better supply chain forecasting, streamlines store processes, and powers more personalized digital experiences. OpenAI supports this work in many ways:

• Target’s Agent Assist and Store Companion help teams in service centers and stores serve guests with care. These tools deliver the most relevant information instantly, boosting accuracy and speeding up support. And it’s not just Q&A—they can price match, start returns, and sort out issues in a chat that feels as smooth as talking to a team member.
• 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 a variety of questions and issues much faster, complemented by personal support when needed. JOY is trained on an extensive knowledge base of 3,000+ FAQs and delivers responses to vendors instantly.

Together, these solutions show how Target is using AI not just to automate tasks, but to truly augment service—giving guests quicker answers and giving team members more time to focus on meaningful interactions.

The Target app, right inside ChatGPT

Building on this foundation, the new Target app in ChatGPT will bring a curated, conversational shopping experience. Launching next week in beta, it will let shoppers ask for ideas, browse and build multi-item baskets, shop for fresh food, and check out using their choice fulfillment options—including Drive Up, Order Pickup, and shipping. 

“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,” said Prat Vemana, executive vice president and chief information and product officer, Target. “We’re proud to be one of the first retailers bringing shopping into this new channel, partnering with OpenAI to make discovery through the Target app in ChatGPT as easy and joyful as browsing our aisles. Our goal is simple: make every interaction feel as natural, helpful and inspiring as chatting with a friend.”

For example, a user will be able to tag the Target app in ChatGPT and say, “Help me plan a family holiday movie night,” and instantly get curated ideas—cozy blankets, candles, snacks, slippers, and more. They can browse the options, build the perfect basket, and check out through their Target account. And soon, Target will add new features like Target Circle linking and same-day delivery.

A partnership at retail enterprise scale

Target’s partnership with OpenAI reflects its broader strategy to not just use AI, but run the business on AI—improving personalization, accelerating product discovery, strengthening operations, and creating magical guest experiences. It also reflects Target’s role in shaping a broader shift across the retail industry, where leaders are making intelligence a core part of customer experiences, internal operations, and everyday workflows. 

As AI becomes foundational across more enterprises, partnerships like this show how retailers can use intelligence not just to keep pace, but to spark the next wave of innovation and guest delight. And OpenAI is uniquely positioned to support that shift, because our platform spans the full arc of an AI transformation—not just a single product or use case.