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Walmart has officially announced a partnership with OpenAI to enable customers—and Sam’s Club members—to shop Walmart’s products directly through ChatGPT, using a feature called Instant Checkout. According to the company, Sam’s Club members will be able to use the new "agentic" shopping tool to restock everyday items, plan meals, and explore new product suggestions through simple conversations with the AI.
The goal is to shift from e-commerce's traditional search bars and list-based interfaces to a more “AI-first, conversational, personalized” shopping experience. Instead of typing keywords into a search bar, shoppers will be able to converse with ChatGPT—asking it to “restock my essentials” or “plan this week’s meals” and complete purchases right within the chat.
Walmart said that this is the next phase of retail that'll shift e-commerce from passive discovery to proactive and conversational assistance. Walmart’s CEO Doug McMillon also emphasized that shopping on AI chatbot is part of the pushes toward what Walmart calls agentic commerce (i.e. AI not just responding, but anticipating).
Although, the feature hasn't been rolled out yet, and after the announcement, Walmart’s stock rose roughly 3% in early trading. Another thing you need to take note of is that it’s not yet clear how global this will be, or whether it will initially be limited to the U.S. Moreover, the details of how checkout, payments, returns, and customer data will be handled are not fully disclosed.
But here's why it matters:
- The agentic shopping feature will transform ChatGPT from a research and assistant tool into a transactional interface.
- It'll Walmart a chance to reclaim referral traffic and jump deeper into AI-driven infrastructure.
- However, it could blur the line between content, search, and commerce.
- For consumers, it promises convenience—but trust, privacy, and transparency will be critical.
However, to use the shopping feature on ChatGPT, shoppers will first need to connect their Walmart accounts to ChatGPT, after which they can complete purchases by tapping a “buy” button within the interface of the AI app. The feature is also expected to include products from third-party sellers when it becomes in the coming months.
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Walmart’s Push Toward Predictive and Personalized Shopping
Walmart makes it clear that its partnership with OpenAI will enable retailers and online sellers to better understand and anticipate customers’ needs, transforming online shopping into a more personalized and proactive experience rather than a reactive one.
At the same time, consumers will still be able to search and browse product lists, but now within a system where AI can predict preferences and deliver tailored recommendations in real time.
This partnership follows OpenAI’s entry into e-commerce through its agentic shopping platform, which supports product discovery, recommendations, and payments. OpenAI has already begun pilot programs with Etsy and Shopify sellers, paving the way for conversational and transaction-based shopping within its AI ecosystem.
In parallel, Walmart continues to develop its own generative AI solutions, including Sparky, a digital assistant that helps users compare products, reorder items, and book services. Upcoming enhancements will allow Sparky to interpret multimodal inputs—text, voice, images, and video.
Walmart also leverages OpenAI’s enterprise tools across its internal operations. The retailer employs OpenAI Certifications and ChatGPT Enterprise to enhance productivity and streamline processes. These efforts have led to faster fashion production cycles—shortened by up to 18 weeks—and improved customer service efficiency by approximately 40%.
All these advancements further bridge the gap between human interaction and digital commerce. Walmart President and CEO Doug McMillon emphasized on the company’s direction and said “For many years now, e-commerce shopping experiences have consisted of a search bar and a long list of item responses,” he said.
“That is about to change. There is a native AI experience coming that is multimedia, personalized, and contextual. We are running toward that more enjoyable and convenient future with Sparky and through partnerships, including this important step with OpenAI.”
