Retailers Are Rushing to Build AI Apps. It’s Unclear if Shoppers Will Use Them

Why It Matters

If consumer uptake stays minimal, retailers risk investing in costly AI experiments that deliver little sales, while missing more effective ways to integrate generative AI into their own channels.

Key Takeaways

• Over 900 ChatGPT apps exist; about 10% target shopping.
• Retail AI app adoption and conversion rates are currently low.
• Brands launch apps to keep up with competitors and collect data.
• Limited discoverability forces users to manually install each retailer app.
• Developers report slow approval, buggy tools, and scarce usage analytics.

Pulse Analysis

The AI‑driven commerce frontier is expanding quickly. OpenAI’s ChatGPT app store now hosts roughly 900 third‑party integrations, while Anthropic’s Claude offers 353 "connectors" that tap services such as Uber, TripAdvisor and Instacart. Retail giants—including Target, Walmart, Sephora and Starbucks—have rolled out dedicated shopping experiences, allowing users to ask product questions, apply loyalty benefits, and even complete checkout without leaving the chat. Yet the ecosystem is fragmented: some apps merely link out, others embed cart functionality, and only a handful, like Instacart, support full in‑chat purchases.

Despite the hype, early signals point to tepid consumer response. Industry insiders note that most shoppers are unaware of the app catalog, and the extra steps required to install and activate a retailer’s app create friction. Conversion metrics are “pretty low,” according to Alpic’s chief of staff, and developers complain about a cumbersome approval process, buggy SDKs, and a lack of real‑time usage data. These barriers limit the practical value of AI apps as a sales channel, especially when compared with native website or mobile experiences that already offer seamless checkout.

Retailers continue to experiment, however, driven by fear of missing out and the promise of low‑cost insight collection. By embedding analytics in an AI app, brands can observe user pathways and test messaging without large‑scale rollouts. Analysts liken the current wave to early metaverse and NFT projects—high visibility, low proven returns. The long‑term payoff will depend on whether platforms can improve discoverability, streamline integration, and demonstrate clear ROI, or whether merchants will pivot toward optimizing their own AI‑enhanced sites and search presence.