Walmart joins eight retailers backing Meta's autonomous shopping assistant

Walmart is among a significant group of eight major retailers that have begun supporting Meta's Muse, an AI shopping agent launched on September 8, 2026. The platform operates as a free service with optional paid tiers, allowing consumers to delegate product discovery and purchasing to autonomous artificial intelligence. Revenue generation will come through transaction fees rather than direct charges to users. Financial analysts at JPMorgan view Muse as potentially the dominant consumer AI application across the market since ChatGPT's emergence. This partnership signals Walmart's commitment to adapting its business model toward agent-driven commerce as shopping behavior evolves.

1. Walmart is integrating alongside Best Buy, Gap, Sephora, Wayfair, Dick's Sporting Goods, Ulta Beauty, and Fanatics—eight retailers in total
2. Muse launched September 8, 2026, offering free access plus subscription options priced at $20 and $100 monthly
3. Meta's business model relies on transaction fees rather than upfront user payments to generate profit
4. The platform operates through full integration with Shopify's product catalog and accepts payments via Stripe Link, Shop Pay, and PayPal
5. Meta's Alexander Wang disclosed that over 1,500 developer applications have been submitted for building integrations on Muse's connector infrastructure
6. JPMorgan research indicates Muse may rival ChatGPT as the leading consumer-facing AI tool available today