This year’s Shoptalk Spring delivered a wave of announcements signaling where retail is headed, from AI-powered shopping assistants and same-day delivery upgrades to new retail media formats and social commerce expansions. Our Retailboss team was on the ground from March 23-26th at the Las Vegas Convention Centre, covering new announcements and conversations— the future of retail is moving fast, and the industry's biggest players are racing to keep up.
Here’s a breakdown of every major brand announcement at the show:
Gap Inc. Elevates Online Shopping with AI-Powered Fit and Conversational Checkout
Gap Inc. unveiled two major digital upgrades at Shoptalk — an AI-powered fit recommendation tool and a conversational checkout experience across its brand portfolio. The fit technology uses customer data to reduce sizing uncertainty, one of the leading causes of online returns, while conversational checkout streamlines the path to purchase through natural language interaction. Together, these tools represent Gap Inc.’s most significant digital commerce investment in recent memory.
AI-powered fit recommendations aim to reduce return rates by improving size accuracy at the point of purchase
Conversational checkout lets shoppers complete transactions through a natural language interface
Rolls out across Gap Inc.’s full brand portfolio, including Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, and Athleta
“We are not pursuing AI for novelty,” said Sven Gerjets, Chief Technology Officer, Gap Inc. “These partnerships are about solving real customer problems - helping shoppers feel confident about fit and making it easier to complete a purchase. They also reflect the holistic AI strategy we’ve built to scale intelligence across the enterprise in a disciplined way that drives measurable value over time.”
Sephora Launches Its App in ChatGPT
Sephora is breaking new ground by integrating its app directly into ChatGPT, allowing consumers to discover, research, and shop beauty products through conversational AI. This move positions Sephora as one of the first major beauty retailers to embed its commerce experience inside a large language model, meeting customers in an entirely new kind of shopping environment. It signals a broader shift in how beauty brands are thinking about discovery beyond traditional search and social.
Sephora’s app integration lets ChatGPT users browse and shop products through natural conversation
Marks one of the first major retail-to-LLM commerce integrations in the beauty category
Reinforces Sephora’s reputation as a digital innovation leader in beauty retail
“ChatGPT is increasingly becoming a starting point for how people discover products and make decisions. This new experience with Sephora explores how beauty discovery and shopping can be more helpful and personalized inside ChatGPT,” said Nick Turley, Head of ChatGPT at OpenAI
Reddit Introduces More Ways to Shop on the Platform with Shopify Integration
Reddit announced expanded shopping features at Shoptalk, introducing new tools that allow brands and retailers to drive product discovery and purchase intent directly within the platform’s communities. Given Reddit’s highly engaged, intent-driven user base, particularly in product research threads. The move opens a meaningful new channel for retail brands looking to reach consumers mid-consideration. The update builds on Reddit’s growing push to monetize its commerce potential beyond traditional advertising.
