- Santrel Media
- Posts
- Target Debuts AI Shopping App Inside ChatGPT 🎯
Target Debuts AI Shopping App Inside ChatGPT 🎯
Plus: OpenAI launches shopping research in ChatGPT 🤖, while PayPal checkout now live inside Perplexity AI 💸.
Want to start selling online? Get started with Shopify for just $1.
Target’s hopping on the ChatGPT train 🛒🤖, and OpenAI isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
Hi there, and welcome to another issue of The Ecom Press 🗞️!
This week’s lineup? OpenAI drops a new “shopping research” feature just in time for peak season, Target rolls out ChatGPT-powered checkout, and PayPal teams up with Perplexity for instant buying 🛍️.
We also stack up Gelato, Printify, and Printful — so if you're setting up your print-on-demand store on Shopify, don't miss that breakdown.
Let’s get into it 👇
In a rush? Here's the juice🤭:
🎯 Target debuts AI shopping app inside ChatGPT.
🤖 OpenAI launches shopping research in ChatGPT.
💸 PayPal checkout now live inside Perplexity AI.
🧰 Tool spotlight: Best Print on Demand for Shopify in 2026.
⚡️Worthy Mentions
Source: Target
Target is rolling out a beta version of its app within ChatGPT, letting users shop, build multi-item baskets, and check out, all through conversational prompts. The move deepens its partnership with OpenAI and signals Target’s larger push to embed AI across its operations, from customer experience to internal productivity.
Here’s the lowdown ⬇️:
🛒 Shopping via ChatGPT: Customers can now tag @Target inside ChatGPT and request help shopping. The app responds with curated items and enables multi-item checkouts with Drive Up, Pickup, or shipping options.
💬 AI-Powered Recommendations: Target’s new tools suggest personalized gifts, holiday essentials, and fresh food items, turning the shopping chat into a virtual aisle.
👥 Employee Productivity Boost: Over 18,000 HQ employees are using ChatGPT Enterprise to streamline work, forecast better, and cut busywork. Tools like Agent Assist and Store Companion help staff serve guests faster and more accurately.
📦 AI in Operations and Fulfillment: Target is using AI for supply chain forecasting, store workflows, and support tools like JOY for vendor queries and Guest Assist for customer service.
💡 Tech Investment to Offset Declines: Target’s investment in OpenAI comes amid declining sales. With sales down 1.5% YoY in Q3, Target is responding with a $1B investment in tech, store upgrades, and digital infrastructure in 2026.
🚫 Amazon Takes a Different Route: While Target leans into ChatGPT, Amazon is actively blocking OpenAI crawlers and issuing cease-and-desist notices to third-party AI shopping agents.
Why it matters 🤔
Looks like it’s no longer just about using AI but how deeply embedded it is, and Target is making AI part of the infrastructure. From cart-building to supply chain to internal productivity, AI is being treated as a core function. In the end, any step that simplifies discovery, shortens decision-making, or eliminates friction is now fair game for AI.
Source: OpenAI
OpenAI has officially launched Shopping Research inside ChatGPT, a feature designed to help users find the right products by turning product discovery into an interactive conversation.
Here are the deets ⬇️:
🧠 Smarter Search: Users can ask for gift ideas or specific items with constraints (like price or specs), and ChatGPT will return curated guides after doing the research across the web.
💬 Clarifying Questions: The tool asks smart follow-ups to understand user needs, preferences, or budget, then refines the search in real time.
📱 Built for Depth: Performs especially well in complex categories like electronics, appliances, and home products where comparisons and tradeoffs matter.
🧾 Personalized Buyer Guides: At the end of the chat, users receive a summary of top options, key differences, and retail links for easy purchase.
🔄 Interactive Feedback: Users can mark suggestions as “Not interested” or “More like this,” allowing the tool to improve its results on the fly.
🔒 Private & Organic: Chats remain private and are never shared with retailers. Results are based on publicly available product pages, not sponsored ads.
🛒 Coming Soon: Support for direct in-chat purchases via Instant Checkout is on the way for participating merchants.
Why it matters 🤷♂️
With ChatGPT becoming a starting point for high-consideration purchases, having structured, accessible product listings could be as important as ad spend. It’s clearly another channel to be discovered through organic product data, not just ads or SEO. And for consumers, it saves time and helps cut through product noise.
🤑 Sponsored tip of the week
💡 Sell More with Shopify’s Faster Cart & Checkout
Shopify carts now load up to 50% faster, and the sleek one-page checkout keeps buyers moving. Longer cart life means more time to buy, fewer drop-offs, and more conversions.
Source: Perplexity
PayPal and Perplexity are teaming up to simplify how shoppers buy through AI. Just ahead of Black Friday, the two companies have launched Instant Buy, a feature that lets U.S. users complete purchases directly in Perplexity’s chat-based interface, without leaving the page.
Here’s the scoop 🍨:
🛍️ In-chat product discovery and checkout: Users can now browse real-time product catalogs, ask follow-up questions, and buy directly inside Perplexity using PayPal. The first batch of participating brands includes Abercrombie & Fitch, Ashley Furniture, Fabletics, NewEgg, and more.
🔒 Secure payments with seller protection: PayPal handles identity verification, payment security, and fraud checks, while keeping merchants in control of transactions and customer relationships.
🎁 50% cashback launch offer: From Nov 25 through Dec 1, first-time Perplexity PayPal shoppers get 50% back (up to $50) on their first purchase, making it a well-timed incentive for holiday shopping.
⚙️ Zero-handoff for merchants: With PayPal’s "Store Sync" and "Agent Ready" tools, sellers can integrate instantly and capture intent-driven traffic with little to no technical friction.
🧠 A conversational shopping experience: Perplexity’s shopping AI keeps track of context and preferences, personalizing results for each user. Unlike search engines, it prioritizes relevance over ad rankings.
“This is the continuation of our decades-long commitment to make AI-driven commerce seamless.”
Why it matters 🤨
Since shoppers aren’t just looking for products but answers, this partnership makes perplexity both a guide and a checkout lane, cutting out extra clicks and reducing drop-offs. For ecommerce brands, it offers a new way to meet buyers right at the moment of decision, without losing the customer relationship.
🛎️ The Ecom Press Insider
Source: ChatGPT Image Generator
Ecom Fact: The National Retail Federation predicts that 187 million people will shop between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday this year—3 million more than 2024. Black Friday leads the charge with 130.4 million shoppers, followed by Cyber Monday with 73.9 million. And for the first time ever, holiday sales are projected to cross $1 trillion (Source: NRF).
💡 Takeaway: With more people shopping across more days, your offer needs to be timely, easy to act on, and visible where shoppers already are. That means tightening your mobile experience, syncing promos across channels, and having fulfillment options ready.
🧰 Tool spotlight: Best Print on Demand for Shopify in 2026.
Trying to pick the best print-on-demand tool for your Shopify store in 2026? It’s not one-size-fits-all. Whether you're after lower costs, a massive product catalog, or sharp AI-powered mockups, here’s how the top contenders stack up, straight from our deep-dive breakdown.
👇 Here are the top tools and what makes each one shine:
🖨️ Gelato
Gelato stands out with reliable in-house printing, competitive pricing (Gildan 5000 tees start at $8.64, or $6.57 with Gelato Plus), and standout tools like Magic Mockups and a Personalization Studio for custom touches. With built-in branded packaging and global fulfillment options, it’s an excellent choice for sellers who want speed, scale, and consistency.
📦 Printify
Printify’s product catalog works with a large network of third-party print providers, so you can choose your supplier. But keep in mind the potential for variation in quality, packaging, and shipping times. Its editor is solid, and you can add custom gift inserts for a small fee, but overall, it's best suited for sellers prioritizing niche product access over strict control.
🔧 Printful
Printful offers a tight, curated product range with consistent quality thanks to in-house production. The free plan gets you started easily, and once you hit $12K in annual sales, you’re automatically upgraded to the Growth Plan with better pricing and perks like discounted branding and free sample embroidery. It’s ideal for sellers who want a professional setup without navigating a massive supplier list.
Want to see each one in action? 🎥 Watch the full breakdown here.
⚡️Worthy Mentions
Wrapping up…
This holiday season is booming! With brands upgrading their AI game and the NRF expecting a trillion-dollar sales record, the race is definitely on.
We’ll be back next week with more ecommerce buzz.
Until then, hit that subscribe button, and pass this along to a founder, marketer, or ecommerce pal who needs to stay ahead of the curve ✨.