New way to shop for groceries at No Frills, Loblaws in Canada

There’s a new, fast, and easy way to shop for groceries in Canada.

Last week, Loblaw announced that it had launched an app within the artificial intelligence platform ChatGPT.

The PC Express app within ChatGPT launched Thursday, allowing Canadians to “seamlessly shop for groceries directly from Loblaw grocery stores,” the company said, calling it a “first-of-its kind shopping app.”

“The partnership will bring Loblaw’s expansive assortment, value and retail experiences to life for Canadians, making their grocery experience more efficient, inspiring and tailored to their needs,” Loblaw said.

“Leveraging the PC Express app in ChatGPT and conversational AI, Canadians can explore menu ideas, curate ingredients to make the perfect meal and select suggested products from their local store to fulfil their menu inspirations.”

How it works

Within ChatGPT, there is an “apps” section that allows users to connect various apps to the platform.

There, you can find PC Express and connect it to ChatGPT.

Once that is finished, while using the PC Express app, you can ask ChatGPT for help in coming up with a grocery order.

In an example provided by Loblaw, a user asks, “What should I cook for dinner? 2 adults, 2 kids, keep it simple and quick, my kids are picky!”

ChatGPT responds with a cheesy chicken quesadilla recipe, and asks the user if they want to shop for that recipe. The user is asked to input their postal code in order to find nearby stores.

Once that is done, a list of stores pops up. Only Loblaw-banner stores are shown so, in this case, Loblaws, No Frills, and Valu-mart are given as options.

The user then selects their preferred store.

ChatGPT responds with a shopping list from the selected store for that specific recipe.

BBQ chicken, tortillas, cheese, salsa, and sour cream are the products suggested in this case.

The user can then select all or some of the suggested products. In the example, the user selects all but one of the products, and then proceeds to checkout.

The order is then placed for pickup at the selected store.

Of course, with ChatGPT there are countless ways to customize your preferences with prompts.

For example, if a suggested recipe isn’t to your liking, you can ask for a different one.

“We have been on an ambitious path for the past few years focused on the digital customer experience and AI-forward technology adaption,” said Lauren Steinberg, the chief digital officer at Loblaw.

“The PC Express app in ChatGPT solidifies our position as a North American leader in artificial intelligence innovation within the retail sector.”

Loblaw said it also uses AI within its business and is expanding its use.

Images via Loblaw