Walmart partners with OpenAI so you can shop directly in ChatGPT
It could blur the line between conversation and commerce.
Walmart is reimagining how people shop online, by letting them buy directly inside ChatGPT. Through a new partnership with OpenAI, the retailer is embedding its shopping experience into the chatbot, allowing users to search, discover, and check out without ever leaving the conversation.
The integration builds on ChatGPT’s new Instant Checkout feature, which lets users ask for things like “best gifts for book lovers” or “healthy lunch ideas” and instantly buy suggested products in-app. With Walmart onboard, that now extends to groceries, household items, and more, all handled within the chat.
Instead of searching through endless product lists, shoppers can describe what they need, and ChatGPT will recommend and process purchases automatically. Walmart calls this approach agentic commerce—a system that anticipates customer needs and simplifies decisions by using AI to turn intent into action.
Louis Eriakha
The experience ties into Walmart’s broader AI strategy, which already includes its in-house assistant, Sparky, designed to make shopping more conversational and personalized. By connecting with ChatGPT, Walmart likely wants to expand that system into a platform customers already use. One that listens, suggests, and completes tasks in real time.
It’s also a glimpse of where e-commerce is headed. Retailers like Amazon are testing similar models, such as Buy for Me, which lets users purchase from other sites without leaving the Amazon app. Both moves point to a future where chat interfaces, not traditional websites, becomes the main entry point for shopping.
The takeaway
Walmart’s integration with ChatGPT signals a shift from typing and searching to simply talking and buying. It’s not just another online checkout option but an early look at how AI will reshape retail into something predictive, invisible, and personal. As shopping moves from screens to conversations, the smartest AI assistant may soon become the most valuable storefront.
Emmanuel Umahi
