Evaluate the Consumer Acceptance of AIoT-Based Unmanned Convenience Stores Based on Perceived Risks and Technological Acceptance Models

Abstract

As the Artificial Intelligence Internet of Things (AIoT)-based unmanned convenience stores stand out in an increasingly challenging market, the consumer experience is more important than ever (CustomerThink, 2018). By employing new technologies, 7-Eleven, a leading chain convenience store in Taiwan, launched X-Store in 2018. While AIoT-based unmanned technology can help solve the problem of manpower shortages in the future, a question arises: will people accept this new technology for shopping? In view of this and based on the technology acceptance model (TAM), this study adds perceived risk as another variable to explore the impact of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and attitudes toward using unmanned technology etc. factors on the purchase intentions of consumers in unattended convenience stores. The study further employs SPSS software for reliability and validity analyses, descriptive statistics, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), and structural equation modeling (SEM) in order to explore the causal relationship among the variables herein. The main empirical findings show that consumers’ perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness positively affect consumers’ attitudes toward making purchases in X-Store, and via the moderating effect, perceived usefulness and attitudes toward X-Store consumption impact consumers’ behavioral intention of purchasing products in X-Store. In addition, perceived risk has a significant moderating effect on attitudes toward using X-Store and behavioral intentions. The empirical results also reveal that male consumers have significantly greater perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitudes toward using, and behavioral intentions in comparison with female consumers. Finally, this study presents conclusions and recommendations based on the research results as reference for unattended convenience store operators and follow-up researchers.

The Future Study of Unmanned Convenience Store in Malaysia

“…Furthermore, combining intelligent technology and physical stores will replace the traditional cash transaction method with an e-payment method. Customers can make the payment by scanning the barcode for each product and make the payment without checking a cashier, or customers can even directly "take away" products (Wang et al, 2021). Moreover, based on the research, the sales of automated parts to unmanned convenience stores are improving by 11% compared to those with little or no automation (Nacs, 2023).…”

“…Research on AIoT-based unmanned convenience stores, such as X-Store, highlights the intersection of technology and consumer acceptance. Studies explore the impact of perceived risks and technological acceptance models on consumer acceptance of AIoT-based unmanned convenience stores, suggesting a growing interest and acceptance in technologically advanced retail environments (Wang et al, 2021). Additionally, factors such as experiential quality and psychological states in unmanned convenience stores have been explored, indicating the importance of consumer experience in these settings (Wu et al, 2019).…”

“…A mobile application or artificial intelligence is typically used to facilitate transactions in unmanned stores, allowing shoppers to make purchases without the traditional features of a store. A new era for unmanned retail stores ushered in with the launch of Amazon Go, the leading e-commerce company in the United States (Wang, et al 2021). Many parts of the world, particularly Asia, have become accustomed to unmanned stores offering convenient and efficient shopping.…”

Leveraging technology adoption to navigate the 4IR towards a future‐ready business: A systematic literature review

“…However, a lack of digital strategy negatively affects emerging technology uptake 88 . Moreover, an unclear financial plan and associated metrics to define the ROI negatively impact their uptake 89,90 . The social influence of the organization can support others' beliefs towards the awareness and possible benefits of emerging technology adoption.…”

“…88 Moreover, an unclear financial plan and associated metrics to define the ROI negatively impact their uptake. 89,90 The social influence of the organization can support others' beliefs towards the awareness and possible benefits of emerging technology adoption. In this regard, leaders can influence the organization's employees.…”