Aim to roll out transformative GenAI technology to store team members across the chain

• Store Companion, the retailer’s new GenAI-powered chatbot, is designed to make team members’ jobs easier and improve the shopping experience
• The tool is expected to roll out to hundreds of thousands of team members across Target’s nearly 2,000 stores in August
• Target will continue to test and develop new GenAI applications that accelerate its business, strengthen its team and support its future growth

MINNEAPOLIS, June 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Target company (NYSE: TGT) today announced plans to roll out a new Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tool to team members across its nearly 2,000 stores by August, becoming the first major retailer to share that it is bringing this technology to its store team brings members in the US. The tool called Shopping companionis a GenAI-powered chatbot designed by Target that can answer process questions on the fly, coach new team members, support store operations management and more.

Store Companion’s goal is to make the teams’ work easier and enable them to work faster and more efficiently, providing faster service and deeper guest engagement to make the shopping experience even better. The initiative is part of Target’s broader strategic approach to use GenAI across its business to strengthen its team, improve the guest experience and support the company’s long-term growth.

“We know technology will continue to play a huge role in the future of retail – for our team members, our guests and our company. With that in mind, we’re constantly experimenting with new tools to make it even easier for our team to do their work and to bring to life more of what guests love about shopping at Target,” said Brett Craig, executive vice president and chief information officer, Target. “The transformative nature of GenAI will help us accelerate the pace of innovation across our operations, and we are excited about the role these new tools and applications will play in driving growth.”

How the Store Companion tool works

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 enter prompts such as “How do I sign up a guest for a Target Circle Card?” and “How do I restart the cash register in the event of a power outage?” and receive instructions and tools in seconds. The tool also acts as a store process expert and coach, helping new and seasonal team members learn on the job.

Testing, learning and improving the tool

“Generative AI is a breakthrough technology and Store Companion will simplify everyday tasks and enable our team to respond to guest requests with confidence and efficiency,” said Mark Schindele, executive vice president and chief store officer, Target. “The tool frees up time and attention for our team to serve guests with care and create a shopping destination that invites discovery, convenience and moments of everyday pleasure.”

To develop this best-in-class resource for store team members, Target’s internal technology team used real FAQs and process documents from its U.S. store teams. The team worked quickly and took the project from initial testing phase to planned rollout in just six months. Target is currently testing the tool in approximately 400 stores and using feedback from the teams to improve the experience ahead of the chain-wide rollout.

Initial feedback from pilot teams shows that Store Companion has a positive impact on their daily work.

“We’re hearing great feedback from our team about the new app,” said Jake Seaquiststore director at one of the pilot stores Champlin, Minn. “Streamlining daily tasks greatly helps our team members and allows us to spend more time with guests and have a better guest experience in the store.”

Since the start of the pilot, experienced team members have shared their expertise and added materials to shape the tool.

The power of AI across Target’s business

Store Companion is the latest example of how Target is accelerating the use of GenAI to create even more personalized and intuitive experiences for team members and consumers. In addition to Store Companion, the retailer plans to roll out another internal GenAI tool in the coming months, starting with team members at headquarters. When put in the hands of Target’s most important asset, its team, this technology has the potential to transform daily tasks and empower team members to be more efficient and spend time on the most meaningful work.

Target also uses GenAI to improve its digital experience for consumers, including GenAI-powered product pages and search capabilities that aggregate the most relevant results and make it even easier for consumers to find everything they need while shopping on Target.com. For example:

• Improvements to thousands of product display pages at Target.com have created more relevant, guest-friendly experiences this year. Target uses GenAI to summarize reviews and make product descriptions on site pages even more relevant, so customers can make confident purchasing decisions. It also enhances the product titles of the items with more robust information, so shoppers can search and find the right items faster. More than 100,000 of these pages are expected to be completed by the end of the summer.
• Guided search has begun rolling out on Target.com, allowing guests to search the site in spoken language and discover even more of the assortment through intelligent, curated results. For example, a search for “summer party” will return a wider range of relevant items, from party favors and invitations to outdoor tableware, meats for grilling, a variety of snacks and drinks and more. It also helps shoppers remember often-forgotten items such as sun protection, insect repellent, outdoor games and other essentials. This enhanced search experience will continue to expand and will be available to all consumers later this summer.

In addition to these improvements, Target will continue to test dozens of additional GenAI applications in 2024 and beyond. The retailer remains committed to the safe and responsible use of the technology and is focused on building a GenAI ecosystem that will continue to drive its business and improve team member and guest experiences while embracing the future of retail.

Mixed

Statements in this press release regarding the Company’s future financial and operating performance and improvements to its technologies and capabilities are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the company’s results to differ materially. Key risks and uncertainties are described in Item 1A of the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended. February 3, 2024. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.

About Target

Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) serves guests in nearly 2,000 stores and on Target.com, with the goal of helping all families discover the joy of everyday life. Since 1946, Target has given 5% of its profits to communities, which today amounts to millions of dollars per week. Additional company information can be found on the company website and press center.

SOURCE Target company