Most Shoppers Prefer a Store With Robots: Study

A new shopper survey from Simbe found that 100% of consumes who liked seeing a robot one time felt the same at three or more times.

As more shoppers interact with in-store robots, anecdotes have emerged about fun interactions with machines traversing store aisles. A new and more formal study has confirmed those sentiments.

Simbe commissioned the study to get a broader understanding of how such robots are perceived. The San Francisco-based company is multimodal provider of store intelligence solutions including the Tally robot that identifies product locations, stock level and pricing information.

According to Simbe's survey of more than 400 U.S. shoppers conducted during the third quarter of 2024, 96% have a positive or neutral attitude towards in-store robots while 77% view them positively and only 4% have negative feelings about their presence in stores.

Delving deeper into perceptions, the research shows that many consumers understand why grocers might deploy robots like Tally. A solid 72% of respondents said that robots improve the accuracy of on-shelf labeling and 69% think that robots help ensure that the products they want are on the shelf.

Caitin Allen, SVP of market at Simbe, recently talked with Progressive Grocer about key takeaways of the research. “On the problem side, the study reiterates what we’ve heard from third parties before, which is the frustration that shoppers report on out-of-stocks and low-stock items and pricing or promotions being different than what they see online versus what they get in store,” she noted. “On the positive side, the main finding – and this shocks me on how significant it was – is that the majority of shoppers say they prefer a store with robots. They spoke not only about how their perceptions of retailers changed, but how they see them as innovative and growing and how this addresses the larger pain points and creates better experiences.”

The Tally robot and AI-powered store intelligence solutions are reaching an early majority moment, according to Simbe's SVP.

Shopper acceptance of robots is by design – literally. “There is a reason why human-centered design is a recommended practice when designing a robot. It is why it takes time to build a robotics company well,” Allen told PG, adding that although Tally is nearly six feet tall, the orientation of its “eyes” doesn’t look intimidating. “The cute noises also do a lot to endear Tally to the shopper.”

The study revealed other insights for grocers who are actively using or considering using robotics. Frequent shoppers who regularly encounter these machines like them 29% more than infrequent shoppers, the survey also determined. Not surprisingly, younger consumers look at robots in a more favorable light than shoppers in other age brackets.

In addition to uncovering attitudes towards robots, the Simbe study looked at other aspects of grocery technologies.

In other news, Simbe announced that it is partnering with CarrefourSA, a Turkish subsidiary of Sabanci Holding and Carrefour Group that includes 1,200 stores and 15,000 employees. “They have been testing Tally this summer, and having it go around three times a day to scan shelves, and we are delighted to be able to welcome CarrefourSA to the fold,” Allen remarked.

Allen said that the additions in Turkey, following other recent deployments in the United States with Northeast Grocery, Tops Friendly Markets, Price Chopper Supermarkets-Market 32, SpartanNash and Wakefern, reflect the broader embrace of such solutions, in addition to other AI-powered tools and technologies. “Early adapters are the pioneers and you get to critical mass with an early majority. I feel we are clearly at that moment,” she asserted.

This fall, Allen added, Simbe is testing technologies in new verticals and planning to announce that it is working with more grocery partners, including large retail operations.