Exploring the Experience of Using the Food Delivery Robots in Helsinki, Finland : a focus group method among Arcada students

Abstract

Since April 2022, the launch of Finland's first grocery delivery robot, in collaboration with S-kaupat (S-Market), represented a pivotal advancement. Despite two years of operation, there has been limited research on the customer experiences with this technology in Finland. This study addresses this gap by conducting focus group discussions with Arcada University students. Using the Technology Acceptance Model, it investigates the perceived usefulness, ease of use, and social-emotional value of the grocery delivery robot. It also seeks to identify critical factors that influence using inclination and to explore the challenges of boosting this acceptance. The focus groups utilized a semi-structured interview guide. The results emphasize the findings of previous research, underscoring the importance of functional benefits and ease of use for customer acceptance. Additionally, the study unveils that the novelty of technology plays a significant but transient role in user acceptance. In contrast to prior findings, this research indicates that the robot's appearance has a minimal effect on user acceptance. The findings also highlight that trust issues related to the robot's service and a lack of public awareness are major obstacles to customer acceptance in the context of Finland.