Walmart is letting you “chat and buy” through ChatGPT, with all the chaos,
promise, and overhype that implies.
Chat, Cart, Checkout: Walmart’s Big Play in AI Retail
Walmart just called “check out” on the old ecommerce model. The
retailer is teaming with OpenAI so customers can buy its products directly
through ChatGPT, using a system called Instant Checkout.
No more browsing endless product pages or wrestling with filters.
Instead, you’ll tell ChatGPT what you want (“give me a 32″ 4K TV under $500”),
and it’ll, in theory, handle the rest. This native artificial intelligence (AI) integration is Walmart’s
bold claim that “for many years now, eCommerce shopping experiences have
consisted of a search bar and a long list of item responses. That is about to
change.”
WalMart Partners With OpenAI Allowing Shoppers To Order Directly Through ChatGPT pic.twitter.com/FTBJFtO0dB
— Forbes (@Forbes) October 14, 2025
Walmart says it already deploys AI across its business (inventory,
logistics, “Ask Sam” voice assistant) and has trained staff in AI literacy. But
opening up ChatGPT as a storefront is a bigger leap, one that signals its intent
to merge commerce and conversational AI.
Importantly, Walmart hasn’t specified exactly when this feature will
roll out. The announcement says “soon.”
Stocks, Hype, and Investor Fever
Wall Street’s reaction was positive and the market responded fast. Walmart’s
stock jumped by around 5 percent after the partnership announcement. The
narrative: tech + retail = future profits.
However, it must be said the stock bump might reflect pure sentiment
more than solid fundamentals. After all, execution matters. A flashy AI rollout
means nothing if customers get mismatched suggestions, cancelled orders, or
outdated pricing.
Exciting to see all the announcements around agentic commerce — an unstoppable force transforming retail, ads, ecommerce, and payments.1/ @Walmart is now partnering with @OpenAI on agentic commerce. Total “agentic” GMV already exceeds $400B+:$100B @Walmart $300B @Shopify… pic.twitter.com/htjuCDFM7y
— Freda Duan (@FredaDuan) October 14, 2025
Still, the move positions Walmart as jockeying for first-mover status
in AI-related commerce, with ChatGPT acting as your purchasing agent inside
chat ecosystems.
ChatGPT as Your Shopping Sidekick
Despite all the hype, some commentators are pouring a little cold water
on this tech idealism. This isn’t entirely new, people are already treating
ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other models as personal shoppers, especially for deal
hunting.
Traffic from AI chat tools to retailer sites exploded 4,700
percent year-over-year (as of July 2025). That’s a huge shift. But, AI
suggestions can carry risks, expired links, outdated prices, incorrect product
specs. Always click through and verify.
The key, as ever with AI systems, lies in providing a detailed, precise
prompt. Accurate results are much more likely given a well thought out set of
instructions detailing, for example, prices, sizes, delivery dates, deal expiry
dates and shipping details. For even more control over the results, shoppers
should specify as much as possible, adding details such as preferred brands,
the maximum price they’re willing to pay and more.
One area where AI might excel is in finding heavily deals on days such
as Black Friday or post-Christmas sales, but again, caution is advised; don’t
just click and buy.
Potential Ups and Downs
AI certainly represents an interesting proposition when it comes to
shopping. In light of the deal, potential benefits (for shoppers and OpenAI and
Walmart) include:
- More seamless shopping experiences, no hunting for filters or category
pages. - Personalization baked in from the first message.
- New revenue streams for OpenAI (transaction fees, affiliate cut) in
addition to its model subscription business. - Reinforcing Walmart’s digital credentials against Amazon and Shopify.
BREAKING: OpenAI just released ChatGPT agent.I just tried it and I’m blown away.(It did a tesco food shop for me and ordered a roast dinner with sticky toffee pudding): pic.twitter.com/nBSxy5YWNq
— Alex Banks (@thealexbanks) July 17, 2025
However, there are risks, or potential issues:
- Price mismatches or stale listings could ruin trust.
- Technical glitches or outages in ChatGPT would directly block commerce.
- Consumer privacy concerns: how much data will be shared between Walmart
and OpenAI? - If the experience is bad (wrong items, confusing returns), backlash
could be swift. - Regulatory or antitrust attention could arise over combining AI and
retail dominance.
The Final Word
Walmart’s bet that AI will soon be your personal shopper is interesting,
and it might pay off. Investors are betting on it now, sending the stock to new
highs. The real test will be execution, whether conversations convert to sales
without friction.
However, placing too much faith in AI auto-shopping is reckless.
ChatGPT can help you find options, but you still need to click, check, confirm.
The chatbot should suggest. You decide.
For more stories around the edges of finance, visit our Trending section.
This article was written by Louis Parks at www.financemagnates.com.
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