Consumer acceptance of the autonomous robot in last mile delivery: a combined resource matching theory, perceived risk, and perceived value perspective

Abstract

With the growth of e-commerce, subsequent transportation services have also received a lot of demand. The pandemic has reduced people’s physical interaction, driving the need for contactless technology. The Automated Delivery Robot (ADR) is one such contactless technology applied to the last-mile delivery, which is the transportation service directly linked to customer experience. Hence it needs to study the consumers' acceptance of ADR last-mile service with automatic robot transportation to promote the application of this innovative technology. The objective of the study is to examine the determinants of customers' acceptance of ADRs in last-mile delivery and help with resource allocation to encourage the acceptance. The research develops a model based on a blend of three different theories. The key premise is that the numerous features of ADRs, such as compatibility, reliability, privacy, security, and convenience, inspire the customer's intention to use ADRs through higher perceived value and decreased perceived risk channels. An online survey in Singapore is conducted to gather data from 500 responders. By constructing a combined theory model and presenting implications for promoting ADR adoption, this work adds to the literature on the subject of ADR acceptance in last-mile delivery.