Shipt introduces AI-powered shopping assistant to build carts from prompts
Shipt, Target's same-day delivery platform, launched 'Ask Shipt' to help customers create customized shopping carts from text prompts or uploaded photos. The tool can suggest meal ideas based on budget and add ingredients automatically. It joins similar AI assistants from Instacart, Uber Eats, and DoorDash.
The new assistant lets shoppers generate complete grocery lists through conversational commands or by snapping a picture of a meal. This move places the Target-owned service alongside Instacart, Uber Eats, and DoorDash, which have all recently rolled out comparable AI-driven cart-building features.
This development follows Target's integration of AI photo search and review summaries on its main website. The tool is now live on both the Shipt mobile app and its web interface, aiming to shorten the distance between a customer's inspiration and a finalized order.
The proliferation of AI shopping assistants could reshape consumer habits by reducing the friction of meal planning and grocery procurement. Shoppers may find themselves relying on algorithmic suggestions, potentially narrowing dietary variety or increasing impulse purchases. For retailers, these tools could drive higher basket sizes and deeper customer loyalty, though they may also raise concerns about data privacy and the displacement of human decision-making in everyday chores. The competitive pressure suggests AI will become a standard interface for commerce.