Instacart partners with OpenAI to launch native shopping inside ChatGPT

Instacart just became the first grocery partner to launch a native app inside ChatGPT, marking a significant evolution in how AI platforms facilitate commerce.‍

This integration allows consumers to move seamlessly from conversational prompts, such as meal planning or recipe searches, directly into a shopping experience powered by real-time inventory from over 1,800 retailers. When a user asks ChatGPT for recipe ideas, they can say "Instacart, help me shop for ingredients," and the Instacart app surfaces directly within the chat interface.

This partnership builds on Instacart's earlier integration that brought ChatGPT capabilities into their own app, but this time the entire journey, from inspiration to checkout, occurs natively within ChatGPT itself. For brands, this creates a new discovery moment where product visibility happens during the planning phase, not just at the point of search. But, if your products don't surface when consumers are generating meal ideas and shopping lists through AI, they won't make it into consideration."

This video breaks down how the integration works, what it signals about ChatGPT's evolution as a commerce channel, and why brands need to optimize for AI-powered discovery on Instacart.