Users can browse drinks, customize orders, and choose pickup locations within the ChatGPT chat interface, though they must still complete their purchase through the Starbucks app or website—the AI chatbot can’t handle that step, at least for now.
The ChatGPT app joins a growing list of major brands integrating AI chatbots into shopping experiences. Walmart and Target have teamed with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into their retail operations, while e-commerce platforms Etsy and travel booking site Booking.com are testing shopping and purchasing through ChatGPT's interface.
Delivery operators DoorDash and Uber Eats have created ChatGPT apps that allow users to turn recipes into shoppable grocery lists, browse restaurant menus, and place delivery orders.
The AI-powered customer engagement tool arrives as Starbucks works to reverse a prolonged sales slump. The company's fiscal first quarter ending Dec. 28 marked its first period of positive U.S. comparable transaction growth after two years of customer losses. Service times at peak hours still run below the company's four-minute target despite the increased traffic, however, suggesting the company continues seeking new ways to attract and retain customers.
