Target Corp. (Minneapolis) has unveiled plans to equip workers at all of its nearly 2000 stores with a new generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tool that can answer on-the-job process questions, coach new team members, support store operations management and more.
“We know technology will continue to play an outsized role in the future of retail — for our team members, our guests and our business,” said EVP and Chief Information Officer Brett Craig. “With that in mind, we’re continually experimenting with new tools to make it even easier for our team to do their jobs and to bring more of what guests love about shopping at Target to life.”
The Store Companion chatbot will be available as an app on store team members’ specially equipped handheld devices, providing immediate answers to their questions about processes and procedures. For example, team members can input prompts like “How do I sign a guest up for a Target Circle Card?” and “How do I restart the cash register in the event of a power outage?” and receive instructions in seconds.
To develop the resource, Target’s in-house technology team used real frequently asked questions and process documents from its store teams across the U.S. Target is currently piloting the tool at about 400 stores, using the teams’ feedback to improve the experience ahead of the chainwide rollout.
The initiative is part of Target’s broader strategic approach to using GenAI across its business to empower its team, enhance the guest experience and support the company’s long-term growth, the retailer said.