Walmart Partners with OpenAI to Enable AI-Powered Shopping via ChatGPT

Walmart has announced a major partnership with OpenAI that will enable consumers to shop directly through the ChatGPT app, marking a significant leap in the evolution of AI-driven e-commerce. Starting this fall, users can browse and purchase a wide range of Walmart products—including groceries (excluding fresh food), household essentials, and more—by simply chatting with the AI and pressing a “buy” button. The feature will be available to both Walmart and Sam’s Club members, with the latter gaining tools to plan meals, restock supplies, and discover new items through conversational AI. To use the service, customers must link their Walmart accounts to ChatGPT. The integration will initially focus on Walmart’s own inventory but will later include products from third-party sellers. This move is part of OpenAI’s broader strategy to expand into agentic commerce—where AI agents proactively handle product discovery, recommendations, and even purchases on behalf of users. OpenAI has already begun rolling out similar features with Etsy and Shopify sellers, and the new Walmart collaboration strengthens its foothold in retail. The partnership reflects Walmart’s aggressive push to integrate AI across its entire ecosystem. Beyond the ChatGPT integration, the company has developed its own generative AI assistant, Sparky, which helps customers find, compare, and buy products. Sparky is set to expand with capabilities like automatic reordering, service booking, and the ability to understand multimodal inputs such as images, audio, and video. Walmart is also using AI internally, leveraging OpenAI Certifications and ChatGPT Enterprise for employee training and operations. These tools have already helped speed up fashion production by up to 18 weeks and reduce customer care response times by up to 40%. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon emphasized that the era of static search bars and endless product lists is ending. “There is a native AI experience coming that is multimedia, personalized, and contextual,” he said. “We are running towards that more enjoyable and convenient future.” The company aims to make shopping proactive rather than reactive—anticipating needs before they arise through AI-driven insights. The move positions Walmart ahead of competitors in the AI retail race. While Amazon continues to protect its ad-driven traffic by restricting access to its product listings and relying on its internal AI tool Rufus, Walmart is embracing open partnerships. This strategy could give it an edge in capturing AI-driven shopping traffic, especially as ChatGPT processes around 50 million shopping-related queries daily. Analysts see this as a pivotal moment for agentic commerce. Mizuho’s David Bellinger called it a “major step forward,” noting that Walmart is leading the charge while others lag behind or even block AI crawlers. Despite the promise, challenges remain. Relying on external AI platforms means less control over product visibility and customer data. Still, Walmart’s approach prioritizes flexibility, ensuring customers can shop however they prefer—whether through Walmart’s site, app, stores, or third-party AI tools. With Sparky and the OpenAI partnership, Walmart is betting that the future of retail lies not in replacing human connection, but in using AI to reduce friction, save time, and make everyday shopping smarter and more delightful. The holiday season will be a critical test of whether AI-powered shopping can drive real sales and reshape consumer habits.