GREENWOOD — The countdown to Black Friday shopping is on, and the Walmart in Greenwood is gearing up for next Friday.
Parents and kids are expected to gravitate toward this year’s most in-demand toys, including Bluey, Barbie and Ms. Rachel. Electronics, including Apple products and TVs, are also in high demand.
Walmart in Greenwood will open its doors at 6 a.m. on Black Friday, offering deals up to 60% off.
WATCH FULL STORY BELOW
“It’s not like it used to be. You’d see folks running in,” said store manager John Frangello. “It’s more orderly, and it lasts all day long."
For some shoppers, gift gathering is still done the traditional way. “Their mom sends us a list,” said customer Cheri Riley, who was shopping for her nieces.
But Walmart is also pushing new tech tools, including an AI assistant called Ask Sparky.
“You go on there and say, ‘What’s a top toy I can get for my 9-year-old daughter?’” explained Frangello.
Other retailers, including Amazon and Target, also offer AI-powered shopping tools. And many shoppers turn to ChatGPT for help.
“To me, the way I view my interactions with ChatGPT is it’s the new search engine, essentially,” said John Talbott, a marketing and retail expert at the IU Kelley School of Business.
Talbott said AI can personalize gift ideas based on the information shoppers share.
“You can tell ChatGPT as much about that person as you want. The things they like, things they like to do, what color hair they have, and it takes that information and makes selections for that individual,” he said.
It can even map out Black Friday shopping trips.
“I prefer to shop in physical stores. Where should I go? Give me a map on how to go to these stores to best manage my time on Black Friday, because I enjoy being out shopping,” Talbott said.
He said AI can help reduce stress for shoppers overwhelmed by holiday planning.
“I think it can improve the experience one has around holiday shopping, which can be stressful,” Talbott said. “Maybe this can be a stress reducer of some type.”
