The role of the human-robot interaction in consumers’ acceptance of humanoid retail service robots

The Retail Service Robot (RSR) is a humanoid robot that uses AI service automation to provide customized shopping assistance. Based upon Computers-Are-Social-Actors theory, this study investigates: (1) The way RSRs’ usefulness, social capability, and appearance facilitate Human-Robot Interaction (HRI); (2) whether anxiety toward robots inhibits the relations between RSRs’ facilitators and HRI, and (3) whether HRI affects anticipated service quality and ultimately the acceptance of RSRs. The study incorporates interviews, video clip stimuli, and empirical data collection (n = 1362) in fashion, technology, and food-service. The results reveal that RSRs’ facilitators such as usefulness, social capability, and appearance influence attitudes toward HRI positively, which in turn, predict anticipation of better service quality and greater acceptance of RSRs, and demonstrate the moderating role of anxiety toward robots between RSRs’ facilitators and attitudes toward HRI. The findings provide theoretical and practical implications for the adoption of RSRs and development of effective HRI.