Customer Acceptance of Self-service Technologies in Retail : A Case of Convenience Stores in China

Abstract

This paper investigates how firms increase customer acceptance of self-service technologies in retail, and the impact of self-efficacy on customer experience, satisfaction, and loyalty. We conducted our empirical research by administering 308 questionnaires to customers of self-service convenience stores in China. We employed a structural equation model to analyze the relationship between service quality, revisit intention, and word of mouth. The results indicate that perceived service quality significantly influences customer satisfaction, with the service quality of self-service retail and experience value being important factors in consumer acceptance of self-service retail stores. Additionally, we investigated the relationship between customer experience value, satisfaction, and loyalty, and found that self-service retail stores exert a significant impact on perceived self-efficacy. Informed by the research on customer acceptance of self-service technologies in retail, promoting further development of self-service retail technologies can effectively aid companies in generating profit while offering more convenience to customers.