Target adds photo search and AI review insights to its app
Target, the No. 5 online retailer in North America, added photo search and AI review insights to its app in mid‑2026. The retailer also named Chandhu Nair as its first chief AI officer, effective Aug. 24, to accelerate its AI strategy.
Shoppers can tap the camera icon in the Target app’s search bar, upload or snap a photo, and see similar products without needing to describe them in words. AI Review Insights, launched in June, groups customer feedback into themes such as comfort, fit, stretch and breathability for activewear, highlighting the information that matters most to a purchase decision. The Buy Again feature, available in the app’s main navigation, surfaces past purchases, frequently ordered items and relevant deals based on previous shopping behavior. Continue Shopping uses AI‑powered personalization to bring shoppers back to products they recently viewed while also showing alternatives and offers across the homepage, My Target and search results.
“accelerate how we harness the power of AI to create better guest experiences and unlock new capabilities across our business,” Michael Fiddelke, CEO said.
Target has been introducing AI-powered shopping tools since 2025, including features that summarize reviews, surface past purchases and return shoppers to previously viewed items. On its August 19 earnings call, chief merchandising officer Cara Sylvester said Target had added AI‑powered teacher and college wish lists and more personalized content on the app’s home screen.
What we know
The retailer recently appointed Chandhu Nair as its first chief AI officer, effective Aug. 24.
Photo Search, the newest of Target’s AI tools, launched in August in the Target app.
Launched in June, the AI tool identifies a product’s commonly discussed attributes and organizes customer feedback into themes, helping shoppers focus on “the information that matters most to their purchase decision,” Target said.
After launching Buy Again last year, Target said it has improved the tool’s recommendations and deal selection.
She said total wish-list creations were up more than 50% from a year earlier, while the number of items added to those lists more than doubled.