Based on coverage from The Globe and Mail, Wallstreet Online, Financial Post, The Manila Times, and Winnipeg Free Press.
Loblaw is bringing grocery shopping into ChatGPT, betting that more Canadians will plan meals and build shopping lists by chatting with an AI, then clicking straight through to buy the ingredients.
The company says its PC Express grocery delivery app is now integrated into OpenAI’s chatbot, letting customers go from “what should I make for dinner?” to a pre-built cart, and then finish payment in PC Express.
Loblaw PC Express launches inside ChatGPT
Loblaw says Canadians can use ChatGPT to explore menu ideas, build an ingredient list, and then choose suggested products to purchase through PC Express. The flow is meant to be simple: you chat, you pick items, and when you hit checkout you’re sent to the PC Express app to complete payment.
Lauren Steinberg, Loblaw’s chief digital officer, framed it as meeting shoppers where they already are. She said AI is becoming a common way people plan, search for information, and make decisions, and Loblaw wants to plug into that behaviour.
The integration launched today, according to Loblaw’s announcement.
How postal code-based grocery shopping works
One key detail: Loblaw says the experience can be localized if the user chooses to share their postal code in ChatGPT. Steinberg said that allows the app to find nearby Loblaw “banners” and pull products from a store close to the customer.
In practical terms, it means the suggested items and the ingredient list can be tied to what a local Loblaw-affiliated store can fulfil, rather than a generic list that may not match what’s available nearby.
Loblaw operates across the country under multiple banners and brands, and it says it has more than 2,800 locations overall.
Loblaw says it moved fast on OpenAI apps
Steinberg said the company began working on the integration last fall, shortly after OpenAI announced ChatGPT would allow third-party apps.
“The moment we found out that ChatGPT was going to allow apps, we built ours,” she said.
OpenAI’s own listings show other major brands already integrated into ChatGPT, including Spotify, Canva, Expedia and Coursera. Loblaw is positioning its move as a retail-first for Canada, calling it a “first-of-its kind shopping app in ChatGPT.”
ChatGPT Enterprise coming to Loblaw staff
This is not just a customer-facing experiment. Loblaw also says it will equip corporate colleagues with ChatGPT Enterprise, which it describes as a tool to boost productivity and innovation.
The company says it already uses OpenAI models for internal tools, including “Robin,” an AI-powered assistant for store owners and managers, plus “agentic solutions” in supply chain management aimed at improving inventory accuracy and logistics.
CEO Per Bank said Loblaw is trying to accelerate digital and AI innovation to improve customer and colleague experiences. OpenAI’s chief commercial officer, Giancarlo “GC” Lionetti, said the partnership is about making shopping more personal and efficient in ChatGPT, while also bringing “enterprise-grade AI” to Loblaw teams.
What it could mean for Canadian shoppers
For consumers, the pitch is convenience: fewer tabs, fewer apps, more “tell me what to cook” guidance that turns into a shoppable list. For Loblaw, it’s a way to insert its store options directly into a tool people may increasingly use for planning daily tasks.
The big practical limitation is also clear from Loblaw’s own description: the smoothest experience depends on customers voluntarily sharing their postal code in ChatGPT, and then still completing checkout and payment in PC Express.
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