Target Rolling Out GenAI Tool For Use By Store Employees
Target is putting a new generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) tool in the hands of employees at stores across the chain as part of an effort to make their jobs easier and allow them to work more efficiently.
Known as Store Companion, the GenAI-powered chatbot designed by Target is said to answer on-the-job process questions, coach new team members, and support store operations management. The retailer said the new technology is part of its broader strategic approach to use GenAI across the company to empower its team, enhance the shopper experience, and support the company’s long-term growth.
"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 Brett Craig, executive vice president and chief information officer at Target. “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 transformative nature of GenAI is helping us accelerate the rate of innovation across our operations, and we're excited about the role these new tools and applications will play in driving growth."
The Store Companion chatbot will be available as an app on store team members' handheld devices, providing immediate answers to their questions about processes and procedures. The tool also serves as a store process expert and coach, helping new and seasonal team members learn on the job.
"Generative AI is game-changing technology and Store Companion will make daily tasks easier and enable our team to respond to guests' requests with confidence and efficiency," said Mark Schindele, executive vice president and chief stores officer at Target. "The tool frees up time and attention for our team to serve guests with care and to create a shopping destination that invites discovery, ease, and moments of everyday joy."
To develop this best-in-class resource for its store team members, Target's in-house technology team used real frequently asked questions and process documents from its store teams across the U.S. The retailer is currently piloting the tool at about 400 stores, using the teams' feedback to improve the experience ahead of the chainwide rollout.
