Digital innovation is transforming retail...but is it what consumers actually want? New research suggests brands should prioritize human connection over tech.
Insight
16 October 2025
Beyond the bot: How human connection could be retail’s real secret weapon
While retailers continue to push the boundaries of digital optimization and AI-powered shopping, a contrasting sentiment is emerging from consumers: humans are irreplaceable. The more brands automate, the less human it feels—and the less desirable it becomes.
From smart fitting rooms to digital ordering screens, AI bots, touchscreens, and augmented reality have dominated retail efforts to make over the in-store shopping experience for years. Embracing technology in bricks and mortar locations was logical, given the ease of online shopping and its ever-rising market growth, now expected to reach nearly $5 trillion before the decade’s end.
But something vital was lost along the way. To compete with the efficiency of e-commerce, many brands were putting innovation over connection. And consumers are registering the difference.
According to JLL Design's new global study, "Shifting Priorities in Retail Design," today’s consumers ranked "Human" as the third most important dimension of brand experience overall, trailing only the baseline dimensions— accessible and intuitive. The findings come from a global survey of 2,002 adults across 15 countries, examining how the six dimensions of brand experience have evolved since JLL first identified them in 2018.
