Walmart deepens AI push with OpenAI partnership, brings shopping to ChatGPT
Walmart has partnered with OpenAI to let customers and Sam’s Club members shop directly through ChatGPT using its Instant Checkout feature. The move expands Walmart’s AI push as it competes with Amazon’s Rufus chatbot.
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Walmart is taking a bold step into AI-driven retail by partnering with OpenAI to let customers and Sam’s Club members shop directly within ChatGPT, the popular AI chatbot, Reuters reported.
The move announced on Tuesday signals the retail giant’s latest bid to blend artificial intelligence with e-commerce, making online shopping faster, simpler, and more conversational.
Reportedly, the integration allows users to discover products and complete purchases through ChatGPT’s new Instant Checkout feature, effectively turning OpenAI’s chatbot into a digital storefront.
The world’s largest retailer has been steadily ramping up its AI investments to close the gap with Amazon, which has already rolled out Rufus, a generative AI-powered shopping assistant. Walmart’s own generative AI chatbot, Sparky, is currently available on its app to help customers with personalized recommendations and product review summaries.
The OpenAI tie-up positions Walmart among the early adopters of conversational commerce, a rising trend where shopping merges seamlessly with chat-based experiences. According to SimilarWeb, ChatGPT referrals accounted for 15% of Walmart’s referral traffic in September, up from 9.5% in August, though they still make up less than 1% of the company’s total web traffic.
Walmart’s move follows similar partnerships OpenAI recently announced with Shopify and Etsy, as major e-commerce players race to integrate generative AI tools that enhance discovery and reduce friction in online purchases.
With this partnership, Walmart is betting that the future of shopping could be as easy as having a chat, literally.
