Target-owned Shipt enters AI cart race with 'Ask Shipt' assistant
The delivery platform's new tool converts natural language prompts into ready-to-buy shopping carts.
Shipt has launched a new AI-powered tool called "Ask Shipt" that allows users to build customized shopping carts using natural language prompts. The move signals a shift toward agentic AI in the delivery sector, aiming to automate the curation process for consumers.
The tool enables users to bypass manual searching by describing their needs in plain English. For example, Shipt notes that users can prompt the assistant to "build a cart for easy school lunches and after-school snacks" or "create a cart for my Saturday tailgate for 25 people and include some brunch items." The AI then translates these goals into a ready-to-buy list of products.
The AI Cart Race
This launch comes as the delivery industry undergoes a rapid transition from simple search-and-add interfaces to more autonomous, goal-oriented systems. Shipt, which is owned by Target, is the latest player to enter a crowded field of AI-driven commerce. Throughout 2026, several major competitors have deployed similar capabilities: Instacart introduced its AI assistant "Clementine," DoorDash launched "Ask DoorDash," and Uber Eats rolled out its own AI "Cart Assistant.
Shifting Consumer Behavior
The integration of agentic AI represents a fundamental change in how users interact with delivery platforms. Rather than spending time on manual list-making, consumers are moving toward goal-oriented prompting. By handling the complex planning associated with meal prepping or event coordination, these platforms are attempting to reduce the friction of grocery shopping.
For the companies involved, the goal is not just convenience but growth. By automating the curation phase, platforms like Shipt aim to increase average order values and improve user retention in a market where competition for the digital grocery basket is increasingly fierce.
What to Watch
As these tools evolve, the industry will likely move toward deeper personalization and more complex autonomous planning. While the current focus is on converting prompts to carts, the next phase of the "AI cart race" will likely depend on how accurately these assistants can handle dietary restrictions and brand preferences without human intervention.