BOISE, Idaho – Albertsons Companies has expanded its artificial intelligence strategy with the launch of a new Safeway plugin for ChatGPT, allowing customers to shop for groceries through natural language conversations.
The new plugin enables shoppers to discover products, reorder regular grocery lists, build shopping carts and receive personalised recommendations directly within ChatGPT before completing their purchases on the Safeway platform.
According to Albertsons, the service is designed to simplify online grocery shopping by allowing customers to interact with AI in a conversational way rather than navigating traditional online menus. Users remain in full control of their purchases and can review, edit or remove suggested products before checking out.
Jill Pavlovich, Senior Vice President of Digital Customer Experience at Albertsons Companies, said the launch is part of the retailer’s wider strategy to integrate artificial intelligence throughout the customer journey.
“We are focused on using AI to create a faster, easier and more enjoyable shopping experience,” Pavlovich said. “As consumer interest in AI-assisted grocery shopping continues to grow, the Safeway plugin allows customers to shop naturally through conversation while giving them complete control over their purchasing decisions.”
Once the plugin is connected to a Safeway account, customers can ask ChatGPT to complete a variety of shopping tasks, including reordering previous purchases, planning meals, finding products on promotion, shopping from recipes, building grocery lists or identifying ingredients based on photos and digital notes.
Typical requests include asking ChatGPT to “reorder my weekly shopping list,” “plan a pasta dinner for four,” or “suggest ingredients for an omelette.” The system then recommends relevant Safeway products and helps customers add selected items to their online shopping cart. Final payment and checkout are completed on the Safeway website.
The launch builds on Albertsons’ broader investment in artificial intelligence, which already includes AI-powered shopping assistants and “Ask AI” features designed to improve product discovery, provide personalised recommendations and reduce the time required to complete everyday grocery shopping.
Albertsons Companies operates 2,240 stores across 35 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, supported by 1,708 pharmacies, 408 fuel centres, 22 distribution centres and 19 manufacturing facilities. Its portfolio includes well-known supermarket banners such as Safeway, Albertsons, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw’s, ACME, Tom Thumb, Randalls, United Supermarkets, Pavilions, Star Market, Haggen, Carrs, Kings Food Markets and Balducci’s Food Lovers Market.
The introduction of the Safeway plugin reflects a growing trend among major retailers to integrate generative AI into digital commerce, making online shopping more personalised, conversational and convenient while streamlining the path from product discovery to checkout.