US retailer Target plans to launch AI chatbot in US stores by August

Retail giant Target Corporation is rolling out a new generative artificial intelligence tool to support hundreds of thousands of employees across its nearly 2,000 stores across the United States.

The AI ​​chatbot, called “Store Companion,” will be available by August and will help employees answer business process questions, coach new team members and support store operations, according to a June 20 statement from the company. .

Target said its new generative AI-powered chatbot is “designed to make your team members’ jobs easier and enhance the shopping experience.”

Available as an app on handheld devices used by Target employees, it provides immediate answers to questions about processes and procedures.

“How do I sign up a guest for a Target Circle card?” is one of the questions Target associates may ask Store Companion.

“How do I restart the cash register if there is a power outage?” might be another.

Mark Schindele, Target’s senior vice president and chief stores officer, called generative AI a “game-changing technology” and noted that Store Companion will make business tasks easier and improve the customer experience. The company has more than 400,000 U.S. employees, according to Macrotrends.

“These tools allow our team to focus their time and attention on serving our customers with care and creating a shopping destination that invites everyday enjoyment, convenience, and discovery.”

Store Companion was developed by Target’s internal technology team.

The AI ​​chatbot is currently being trialled in around 400 stores across the country, providing feedback on how to improve before rolling out across the chain.

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Target also uses generative AI to summarize reviews and make product descriptions on site pages more relevant, helping shoppers make confident purchasing decisions.

The company said it is testing dozens of other generative AI applications that could be released in the future.

The news had little impact on Target’s stock price (TGT) on Thursday, with the stock rising 0.59% to $143.38, according to Google Finance data.

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