Abstract
The traditional retail sector is currently facing major challenges, particularly due to digitalisation and the associated changes in customer behaviour, increasing demands in the service world, new technologies and other factors. The COVID19 pandemic has accelerated and intensified this process. From a retailer's point of view, it is essential to create value for the customer through digital interactions. In this article, a study based on the Value in Interaction Model investigates whether it is possible for physical retailers to make a digitally supported interaction as valuable as the direct contact in the store and what influence this has on the Perceived Relationship Quality. The results show that the difference in perceived value between the physical and digital retailer interaction is relatively small. This proves that when the interaction layers are actively designed with a focus on value, a digital interaction can be almost as valuable as the traditional in-store interaction.
Highlights
From time to time, viral epidemics within individual countries threaten the health and lives of that country's inhabitants, and may wreak havoc on social and economic activities
On the other hand, harbour the potential for health impacts over large regions and potentially the whole world, and may have longer-term impacts on economic wellbeing because all countries' economies have been hampered and drivers of recovery are in short supply
The particular need that is the focus of the present paper was for assistance in public health management, which seeks to slow the spread of the virus, protect vulnerable sub-populations, ensure capacity to treat sufferers, and defeat the virus, while sustaining public confidence and achieving sufficiently high levels of compliance
Summary
Viral epidemics within individual countries threaten the health and lives of that country's inhabitants, and may wreak havoc on social and economic activities. Research in elderly care reveals that the attitudes of elderly towards social robots are more often positive than negative (Savela, Turja, & Oksanen, 2018), the same holds for people with dementia (Whelan et al, 2018). These findings are promising for our study as we aim to experiment with social robots in the natural environment, whereby the perspective of stakeholders is important for the successful implementation of this new technology
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
