Albertsons Companies has launched a Safeway plugin in ChatGPT that allows shoppers to discover products, reorder weekly lists and build carts through natural language requests. The Boise, Idaho-based retailer announced the live availability of the plugin Aug. 5.
The plugin connects customer requests with Safeway products, cart and checkout services. Shoppers can reorder favorites, find new products, discover items on sale or shop from a recipe, photo or digital list. Customers can review, compare, modify or remove suggested items before being redirected to the Safeway platform to complete checkout.
Jill Pavlovich, SVP of digital customer experience for Albertsons Cos., said, “Research tells us that consumers are increasingly interested in using AI to help with grocery shopping. By enabling our plugin in ChatGPT, we are making grocery shopping as simple as having a conversation by meeting our customers when and how they choose to shop.”
How the plugin works
To get started, shoppers open ChatGPT, click “Plugins” in the sidebar, search “Safeway” and connect the plugin by signing in to their Safeway account. Typing “@Safeway” into any ChatGPT conversation will surface the plugin automatically.
From there, customers can begin with a grocery request, such as “Reorder my weekly shopping list” or “Help me plan a quick pasta dinner for four.” ChatGPT surfaces relevant Safeway options and assists in adding selected items to the cart. The experience is designed to support meal planning, list building, product discovery, reordering and finding savings.
The plugin builds on the company’s broader AI-powered shopping foundation, including its AI shopping assistant and Ask AI capabilities, which are designed to simplify product discovery and reduce the steps required to complete everyday grocery tasks.
Albertsons Cos. operates 2,240 retail stores with 1,708 in-store pharmacies in 35 states and the District of Columbia under 22 banners, including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons and Jewel-Osco.
According to the Safeway website, it operates 909 stores in the U.S.