Target is adding conversational AI to its holiday shopping experience as it competes for gift buyers looking for inspiration and value. The beta assistant is part of a wider push to make product discovery easier while promoting exclusive merchandise and seasonal deals.
How Target’s New AI Shopping Assistant Works
Ask Target allows shoppers to describe what they are looking for instead of relying solely on keyword searches and product filters. Customers can use the conversational tool to explore gift ideas, narrow their options and build wishlists for themselves or other people.
Target Chief Merchandising Officer Cara Sylvester told Business Insider that the retailer had seen encouraging early interest in conversational AI. She said the company wanted to introduce the feature in time for its busiest shopping season, while emphasizing that it can also answer broader questions about Target’s products and services.
The assistant has also been used internally to help store employees become familiar with new merchandise, including products in Target’s updated Beauty Studio department. That suggests the tool could eventually serve purposes beyond seasonal gift recommendations, although Target has not announced a full timetable for additional features.
Ask Target builds on the company’s broader investment in digital shopping. Target introduced AI-powered photo search in August, allowing customers to find similar products by uploading an image. It also added AI-generated summaries of product reviews and personalized tools that make it easier to return to previously viewed items. The retailer detailed those developments in its September update on AI-powered shopping features.
The new assistant is separate from Target’s existing shopping experience inside ChatGPT. That partnership with OpenAI, announced in 2025, allows customers to discover products and build multi-item baskets through a conversation before checking out using options such as Drive Up, Order Pickup or shipping. Ask Target, by contrast, is being introduced directly on Target’s own website and app.
Target’s Holiday Deals and What Shoppers Can Expect
Target is pairing the AI launch with a larger assortment of seasonal merchandise and a schedule of promotions intended to appeal to shoppers watching their budgets. The retailer is offering more than 8,000 new gifts this holiday season, with over half exclusive to Target. Most of the new items cost $20 or less, and thousands are priced at $5 or below. The assortment is intended to cover a wide range of gift recipients and budgets while giving customers more reasons to shop the retailer.
Target will also introduce a Deal of the Day on November 1, with daily offers continuing through December 24. Shoppers will be able to preview upcoming deals one day before they begin. The company’s early Black Friday promotions are scheduled for November 5–7, followed by additional limited-time offers on weekends throughout the holiday season.
The pricing strategy arrives as retailers compete for consumers who remain cautious about discretionary spending. Target announced in September that it would lower prices on nearly 2,000 home, apparel and accessory items ahead of the holidays. That effort reflects the pressure on retailers to balance shoppers’ desire for value with the need to maintain sales and profitability. Similar shifts are visible at discount retailers as higher-income shoppers increasingly seek lower prices.
For Target, the potential benefit of Ask Target is a simpler route from browsing to product discovery. Shoppers who are unsure what to buy may be able to describe a recipient, an occasion or a general idea and receive more relevant suggestions. However, the assistant is still in beta, and it is too early to determine whether it will lead to larger baskets or higher holiday sales.
The retailer is also competing with established AI shopping tools from Amazon and Walmart. Walmart’s Sparky assistant helps shoppers discover products through conversational searches, while Amazon offers AI-powered shopping assistance through its own ecosystem. Target’s challenge is to make Ask Target useful enough that customers adopt it without losing the style-led product discovery that the company sees as part of its retail identity.
Target has not yet provided a specific sales forecast tied to Ask Target or disclosed how much revenue the new assistant is expected to generate. Its impact will depend on customer adoption, the quality of recommendations and whether the tool helps shoppers complete purchases.
For consumers, the immediate change is another way to find gifts and organize holiday shopping through Target’s digital channels. The combination of AI assistance, exclusive products and seasonal discounts could make the process more convenient, but shoppers should still compare prices and review product details before buying.