PlayAbly Podcast Episode 36: When AI Shops for You- the Walmart and OpenAI Partnership Explained

Welcome back to the PlayAbly podcast. Shopping as we know it is about to radically change. Walmart—yes, that Walmart—just announced a major partnership with OpenAI to let customers shop directly through ChatGPT using Instant Checkout. That means product recommendations, price comparisons, and even purchases—all inside a single AI-powered conversation.

But this isn’t just a new plugin or gimmick. Walmart is going all-in on agentic commerce, rebuilding its entire infrastructure to be “AI-first.” The way customers discover, evaluate, and buy products online? It’s being reengineered from the ground up.

So what does this mean for ecommerce founders, DTC brands, and Shopify sellers? Does it open new doors—or just give big-box retailers more power?

In this episode, we break down:

• What Walmart’s OpenAI deal actually means
• Why “agentic commerce” is more than just voice shopping
• How small brands can optimize for AI discoverability
• The coming rise of AI storefronts and category-specific shopping agents
• Actionable steps for staying visible in an AI-dominated future

We also talk about how indie brands can stay competitive by leaning into tools like PlayAbly to create immersive experiences—whether it’s a gamification rewards program
, interactive gamification e commerce
strategy, or shoppable games that drive deeper engagement.

This episode is a must-listen if you're thinking about:

• Retention marketing and customer loyalty
• Optimizing product data for AI-readability
• Building your own customer journey outside the algorithm
• Preparing for privacy, trust, and AI gatekeeping challenges

The future of retail isn’t five years away—it’s already here. Tune in to learn how to adapt, compete, and thrive.

Welcome to the PlayAbly Podcast, where we dive into the art and science of gamification, customer engagement, and driving conversions. 

At PlayAbly, we turn passive audiences into active customers through shoppable games and playable experiences that transform how brands connect with their customers. Book your free demo here.

Get Your First Month of PlayAbly free when you mention this Podcast during your free PlayAbly Demo - learn how gamification can improve your ecommerce shop at www.playably.ai

Transcript

Welcome back to the PlayAbly podcast. Shopping as we know it is about to radically change. Walmart—yes, that Walmart—just announced a major partnership with OpenAI to let customers shop directly through ChatGPT, using Instant Checkout. That means product recommendations, price comparisons, and even purchases are all handled inside a single AI-powered conversation.

This isn’t just a gimmick or some new plugin. Walmart is going all-in on agentic commerce—rebuilding their entire digital infrastructure to be “AI-first.” The way you and your customers discover, evaluate, and buy products online? It’s about to look very different.

So what does that mean for small ecommerce brands, Shopify stores, or DTC founders? Does this shift create a new monopoly for big box retailers—or does it open up new ways for indie brands to compete in the AI shopping economy?

In this episode, we break down the Walmart + OpenAI partnership, what “agentic commerce” actually looks like, and how ecommerce founders can stay ahead of the curve. Whether you’re scaling a Shopify brand, building a customer journey strategy, or thinking about the future of CRM marketing, you’ll want to stick around.

You know what's fascinating about this whole Walmart ChatGPT news? It’s not just another chatbot. Walmart is completely rebuilding their infrastructure around AI—what they're calling an “AI-first” approach. This isn’t search-as-usual. It’s a fundamental transformation in how people shop online.

Let me paint a picture of how this works. Instead of browsing through pages and pages of listings, a customer just types:

"I need dog food and some healthy snacks."

And ChatGPT replies with a curated, visual experience—options, comparisons, even completing the purchase in the same flow. No website navigation. No carts. Just... done.

So this is what Walmart and analysts are calling “agentic commerce.” Axios even reported that Walmart is shifting its entire ecommerce model toward a multimedia, personalized, and contextual AI experience.

Yeah—and according to BGR, they’re even re-structuring their entire product catalog to be AI-agent friendly. Think about that: not optimized for humans… but for bots who shop on behalf of humans.

That brings up some really important questions about privacy, trust, and transparency. If AI is handling payments, suggesting products, and learning your preferences, how do people actually feel about giving up that much control?

There’s some solid academic research on this. Two main factors drive AI shopping adoption: trust and perceived usefulness. People need to believe the AI is secure—and that it’s recommending the right products, not just pushing high-margin inventory. This is especially important in categories like healthcare, food, or parenting—where trust is non-negotiable.

But here's where it gets even more interesting. As AI gets better at personalization, it's going to blur the line between search and marketing. You’re not just asking for products—you’re letting the AI curate your choices. And depending on how it’s built, that could reduce decision fatigue—or introduce subtle manipulation.

Now, let’s talk consumer behavior. AI could actually make people more rational shoppers—using your budget, your goals, your shopping history to help you buy better. But it could also increase impulse spending, surfacing products you didn’t even know existed. Think: “You bought protein powder last week—do you want to try this brand with 3x absorption?” That level of insight is incredibly persuasive.

And it gets even deeper when you think about recurring purchases—toilet paper, vitamins, baby food, skincare. AI can start automating those decisions for you. Which, by the way, is great for brands that win early. Because once an AI agent gets trained to default to your product, it becomes your virtual shelf space.

So let’s shift to what this means for small brands, DTC founders, and Shopify sellers. How do you compete with a company like Walmart inside ChatGPT?

It’s a valid concern. Walmart has the scale, logistics, and data to dominate these new channels. But here's the thing: smaller brands can still win—by doing what AI can’t yet do well.

According to Shopify’s recent AI readiness analysis, successful brands are doing three things:

Optimizing their product data — That means clean metadata, rich descriptions, clear attributes, and structured tags that AI agents can easily parse.

Building a brand voice for AI — Crafting messaging that allows your brand to show up when a shopper prompts something like:

“Show me sustainable skincare from indie brands.”

Doubling down on loyalty — Investing in community, email, and VIP programs so your brand stays top-of-mind even when AI is involved.

This is why tools like PlayAbly are becoming essential—not just for ecommerce gamification and engagement, but for creating memorable, branded experiences that cut through the noise. Whether it's a shoppable game, a countdown calendar, or a quizzified product finder—those moments give you leverage AI can’t replicate.

So here’s the takeaway: don’t try to out-AI Walmart. Instead, become AI-friendly. What can ecommerce shop owners who are not Walmart do right now?

Audit your product metadata – Make sure every listing is machine-readable and optimized for semantic understanding.

Build owned channels – Email, SMS, push, and community are still king. You need direct access to your customer—especially as platform gatekeeping increases.

Experiment with conversational commerce – Test tools like PlayAbly to build interactive experiences that mimic how people will shop in AI agents.

Of course, the shift to AI-first shopping brings new challenges.

Algorithmic bias — Will AI agents favor brands with higher margins or deeper pockets?

Discovery equity — How do new or diverse brands get surfaced fairly?

AI gatekeeping — If AI agents become the front door to shopping, who controls what consumers see?

These aren’t abstract concerns. Some industry groups are already working on AI recommendation standards and transparency protocols. And some small brands are banding together to ensure their products don’t get buried by algorithmic favoritism.

Looking ahead, here are three trends we’re watching closely:

AI Shopping Agents by Category — We’ll likely see specialized bots for fashion, fitness, home goods, and groceries, each with its own set of preferred partners.

AI Shopping Certification — Think “AI-safe” labels that guarantee fair, ethical recommendations and clear sourcing policies.

AI Storefront Aggregators — Essentially digital malls powered by AI. A place where niche brands can be surfaced contextually inside larger AI ecosystems. So yeah… we’re not just watching the future of shopping—we're actively entering it.

This is a fundamental shift in the customer journey. And while Walmart might be the headline today, there’s still massive opportunity for independent brands who understand their niche and move fast.

If you’re thinking about retention marketing, loyalty, Shopify gamification, or how to future-proof your brand—this is the time to act.

And we’ll be right here helping you navigate the shift