In a major push to capitalise on the artificial intelligence revolution, sportswear retailer JD Sports has announced plans to let customers purchase products directly through AI platforms without ever leaving the chat.
AI as the Future of Retail
The company's chief technology and transformation officer, Jetan Chowk, told the Press Association that JD Sports firmly believes AI represents "the future of how people will shop". He confirmed the retailer intends to be a leader in adopting this new technology.
Chowk explained that the move is a direct response to observable consumer behaviour. "What we are currently seeing is that customers are regularly using AI apps to research and discover the products they want to buy," he said. "We can see that already and want to ensure we are moving early to meet customers and their needs in that space."
Strategic Partnerships and Rollout Plan
To make this vision a reality, JD Sports is partnering with e-commerce specialist Commercetools and payments giant Stripe. This collaboration will facilitate seamless "one-click purchases" directly within AI applications.
The initial launch of this service is scheduled for the United States in the coming months. It will begin by integrating with Microsoft Copilot, before expanding to other leading large language models (LLMs). This will allow US shoppers to find, select, and pay for JD Sports products entirely within an AI platform's interface.
The company has noted a particular surge in AI usage among its core demographic of shoppers aged 18 to 24, reinforcing the strategic importance of this initiative.
Adapting to a Fast-Changing Landscape
While the US is the first market, JD Sports hopes to expand the technology to other regions. However, the rollout will be adapted to comply with the differing regulatory environments for AI that are emerging globally as policymakers catch up with the technology's rapid advancement.
Group chief executive Regis Schultz emphasised the broader strategic importance. "This strengthens our digital proposition for customers, and keeps us moving in line with the fast-changing retail landscape," he stated. "We see AI as a real opportunity to improve our customers' experience with JD, as well as making our own operations more efficient, and so I'm really pleased that with this big step forward we are putting our words into action."
This announcement positions JD Sports alongside other major retailers who are rapidly adapting to a significant consumer shift towards using AI platforms like ChatGPT and Copilot for everyday tasks, including shopping.
