Service innovation in retail stores through social robots: first insights from field experiments

Description

This presentation reports on an exploratory field study examining the value of social robots in real-life retail service environments. Conducted in a Dutch supermarket using the non-humanoid robot Temi, the study compared two wayfinding scripts over six weeks through observations, customer surveys, and sensor data. Results showed that Script 2—where the robot displayed shelf locations on-screen—led to significantly higher customer satisfaction, perceived usefulness, trust, and interaction quality compared to Script 1, where the robot physically guided customers. The findings suggest that when designed and implemented thoughtfully, social robots can enhance the customer experience and add value in retail settings, especially amid ongoing labor shortages.

Period	18 Jun 2023
Event title	Frontiers in Service Conference
Event type	Conference
Location	Maastricht, NetherlandsShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International