Loblaw becomes first Canadian chain using ChatGPT for grocery shopping

All across Canadian grocery stores, a familiar friend might soon show up — in the form of old-reliable ChatGPT.OpenAI's large language model (LLM), ChatGPT, has come to life in the form of a personal shopping assistant for Loblaw.Loblaw says PC Express will be integrated within the ChatGPT app to be a "simpler and more efficient way for Canadians" to shop.How it'll work — while conversing with the LLM through the app, consumers may discuss menu ideas, select ingredients, and choose suggested products from the store nearest them.The Food Professor, or Sylvain Charlebois, who runs an agri-food analytics lab at Dalhousie University, expects this to be a trend in 2026, writing on X:."We expect the use of AI by grocers to optimize sales and personalize offers to be one of the top food retail stories of 2026..."They can then purchase the preselected items they curated through ChatGPT on the PC Express app and order.Loblaws says it already uses OpenAI models for other things within its business — an assistant for store owners and managers, and supply chain management.“We have been on an ambitious path for the past few years focused on the digital customer experience and AI-forward technology adaption. The PC Express app in ChatGPT solidifies our position as a North American leader in artificial intelligence (AI) innovation within the retail sector, said Lauren Steinberg, Chief Digital Officer, Loblaw Companies Ltd. ."Conversational AI is becoming a new interface layer for how people plan and search and make decisions," said Loblaw chief digital officer Lauren Steinberg in an interview, reported by Yahoo Finance."Canadians are already using tools like ChatGPT to answer everyday questions such as what to make for dinner, how to make a high-protein meal plan or how to prep for a birthday party.""We're kind of going where customers are," Steinberg stated.Loblaw began working on the app integration last fall — after OpenAI announced they would be introducing third-party apps to its LLM.Steinberg also says Loblaw is working to integrate AI into its PC Express and PC Optimum apps in the future..Loblaw has also launched ChatGPT Enterprise for its corporate employees to use.

Loblaw becomes first Canadian chain using ChatGPT for grocery shopping

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