Target has announced the appointment of Chandhu Nair as its first chief AI officer as part of its efforts to increase its investment in AI and improve user experience.

Nair will join the retailer on 24 August as senior vice president and chief AI officer. In his new role, he will be responsible for coordinating AI initiatives across the business, with a focus on using the technology to improve shopping experiences and streamline operations.

Nair joins the firm from home improvement chain Lowe’s, where he spent over six years working in various senior roles, most recently as senior vice president for stores, data and AI.

He was also co-founder of Merkatus Partners, a consultancy firm focusing on emerging technology for the retail industry. Additionally, Nair spent almost a decade working in a variety of leadership roles at stationary supply firm Staples.

Speaking about his new role, Nair said Target's AI strategy would focus on delivering business outcomes rather than deploying technology for its own sake.

“The most meaningful AI stories won't be about what happens in a lab,” he added. “They'll be about what happens on the front line; how we make shopping easier for a guest, give a team member a better tool, make a business decision with more confidence, or bring a new idea to market faster.”

Target also announced it has promoted Purvi Shah to senior vice president of user experience (UX). She has worked at the retailer for four years and most recently held the role of head of UX design, research, and accessibility.

Shah said that AI and UX should evolve together to ensure intelligent systems remain intuitive and trustworthy.

“Human-centred design helps make that capability understandable, useful and trustworthy,” Shah said. “It helps us point the technology toward the opportunities that matter most and shape how a system should behave, not just how it should look.”

She added that going forward, UX would play a larger role in shaping the systems behind Target's digital experiences, from online shopping journeys to employee tools and partner platforms.

---