Walmart is partnering with OpenAI to allow customers and Sam’s Club members to shop directly through ChatGPT, using the chatbot’s Instant Checkout capability, the company said on Tuesday.
The new feature lets users browse and buy Walmart products through natural conversations inside ChatGPT, expanding the retailer’s use of artificial intelligence to simplify shopping and enhance customer engagement. Following the announcement, Walmart’s stock rose 5% to $107.21.
The retail giant has been steadily deepening its AI integration, recently launching “Sparky,” a generative AI assistant in its mobile app that provides personalized recommendations and product summaries. The partnership with OpenAI comes as Walmart ramps up efforts to compete with Amazon, whose own AI-powered assistant Rufus has already gained traction.
Walmart’s collaboration follows similar deals OpenAI signed with Etsy and Shopify, marking ChatGPT’s growing presence in the e-commerce sector. Data from SimilarWeb shows that ChatGPT referrals to Walmart grew from 9.5% in August to 15% in September, though they still account for under 1% of total traffic.
The initiative underscores Walmart’s strategy to leverage generative AI for retail innovation, streamlining discovery, purchasing, and checkout experiences across digital platforms.
