Gap Inc. is changing how people search its stores online. Instead of typing “black jeans” into a search box and working through filters, Old Navy and Banana Republic shoppers can now describe what they want in plain language and get suggestions back. The company announced the tools at the start of San Francisco Tech Week in early October, about 30 years after Gap launched its first e-commerce site in 1996. Gap is also opening its catalog to two outside AI styling apps, Alta and Daydream. Together the moves show how a mass-market fashion group is betting on AI shopping without throwing out the old way of browsing.
What Gap Actually Launched
According to Retail Dive’s report, there are three parts to the rollout:
- Conversational shopping agents on the Old Navy and Banana Republic websites and apps. Shoppers type a request the way they’d say it to a sales associate, rather than choosing from category menus.
- Alta, a styling app founded by CEO Jenny Wang, builds outfit suggestions around a user’s schedule, budget and the weather forecast. It can mix pieces the user already owns with items from brands’ ranges.
- Daydream, co-founded by CEO Julie Bornstein, answers everyday-language fashion requests. It will be able to pull from every Gap Inc. brand: Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and Athleta.
Gap is presenting the tools as an addition to search boxes, filters and product grids, not a replacement for them. Chief technology officer Sven Gerjets told Retail Dive that “AI should make shopping easier and more intuitive, not add complexity or take choice away from the customer.” He also said Gap would learn and adjust if the tools don’t deliver.
Why This Matters More Than Another Chatbot
Most of the AI shopping launches we’ve covered this year came from startups or luxury boutiques. This one is different because of who’s doing it. Old Navy and Banana Republic sell everyday basics to a very broad customer base, and a company that size doesn’t run experiments on its main websites lightly.
The bigger story is distribution. Gap isn’t only building its own assistant. It’s also letting third-party AI stylists show its products. That means a shopper may find an Old Navy sweater through an app that never sends them to Old Navy’s homepage. Daydream, which we wrote about in August when it pitched a “shop with AI” button for fashion brands, now has one of the biggest US apparel groups on board.
The caution is just as telling. Retail Dive points to a SmartCustomer survey in which 45% of purchases consumers regretted making with AI help were apparel and footwear. It also cites research from Synchrony and Oxford Economics: shoppers are more willing to use AI at retailers they already trust, but they worry about how their data is used and want to keep some control. Gerjets’s comments about relevance and not taking choice away seem written with exactly those concerns in mind.
What Shoppers Should Keep in Mind
- Be specific. These tools work from your description. “A warm layer for a rainy office commute, under $60” gives the AI more to go on than “jacket.”
- Still check fit and fabric yourself. In that survey, apparel and footwear made up 45% of the AI-assisted purchases people regretted. Read the size notes and fabric details before you check out.
- Know what you’re sharing. Apps that plan outfits around your calendar and the weather need that information to work. Decide how much you’re comfortable handing over before you connect your accounts.
- The old filters are still there. If the assistant isn’t helping, Gap describes it as an addition to the usual search and filters, not a replacement, so you can still browse the familiar way.
FAQ
What AI shopping tools has Gap launched?
Gap Inc. has added conversational shopping agents to the Old Navy and Banana Republic websites and apps, where shoppers describe what they want in natural language. It is also making its products available through the outside AI styling apps Alta and Daydream.
Which Gap brands work with Daydream?
According to Retail Dive, Daydream will have access to all Gap Inc. brands: Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic and Athleta.
Is Gap replacing its normal search and filters with AI?
No. Gap describes the AI tools as an addition to its existing search boxes, filters and product grids, not a replacement for them.
Sources & Further Reading: Retail Dive / CX Dive — “Gap unveils AI-assisted shopping, three decades after its first website” (Daphne Howland, October 5, 2026), https://www.customerexperiencedive.com/news/gap-ai-assisted-shopping-three-decades-after-website/832188/
By Michelle Jones, Fashion News GF