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.

The results revealed that despite years of investment in game-changing in-store technology, only one-third of global consumers (32%) say they would choose a highly efficient AI bot over a human associate who isn't fully informed. Just 31% believe stores without cutting-edge tech like AI and AR are already behind. And only 37% want to interact with digital screens or touchscreens in-store.

“I would put more emphasis on human interaction because consolidating everything to AI will make the shopping experience feel soulless,” explained one respondent from the United States.

Even as efficiency becomes increasingly valued, consumers are still asking for experiences that balance convenience with human connection—or at least provide a meaningful choice between the two. Less than half (40%) claim indifference about interacting with humans versus technology, which means the majority actively care about who or what helps them shop.

By overfocusing on convenience and technology, many physical retailers are sacrificing their unique competitive advantage: the ability to bring people together in person and create real-world interactions.

More than half of global consumers (57%) agree that physical locations should offer a compelling reason to visit versus shopping online. That reason increasingly centers on human connection. For most people, visiting stores or restaurants has become a deliberate choice, serving as a tangible escape from screen fatigue or the isolation of online-only engagement. While this sentiment spans all age groups, older cohorts like Gen X and Boomers emerge as the strongest advocates for maintaining human connections in physical spaces.

Leading brands are taking note. This year Starbucks is closing 90 of its "Pick Up" stores across 20 states and bringing back handwritten notes on cups—ordering 200,000 Sharpies to reverse years of efficiency-focused strategies. Capital One Café has opened more than 60 locations that combine financial support with a welcoming coffee shop experience where anyone—not just customers—can enjoy social connection in a no-pressure environment. And the American Express Centurion Lounge at London's Heathrow Airport is transforming a financial brand into a hospitality-forward experience where cardmembers enjoy premium food, local tea, and personal service—proving that even in traditionally transactional moments, human warmth can differentiate the experience.

Broader research supports these connection-driven shifts. In JLL's Experience Matters 2024 survey, 67% of shoppers across 10 countries said they prefer shopping in person to shopping online. A 2025 Harris Poll study found that 78% of Americans would choose a completely in-person social life over a digital-only one, and 81% believe digital detoxes should be routine.

"Personally, I visit stores sometimes for the basic human interaction and social circumstances that I get to experience while I am out," shared one survey respondent from the United Kingdom. "Integrating AI into the picture removes the social connections that humans, on a basic level, require in life."

Ultimately, the future of brick-and-mortar retail belongs to brands that understand what years of digital optimization have obscured: shopping is more than a transaction to be expedited. It's a social act that offers a moment of connection in an increasingly isolated world. Brands that will thrive will go beyond simply adding technology or hiring more staff. They’ll create spaces that reflect global consumers’ preference for soul over speed.

The retailers winning consumer loyalty today are those brave enough to slow down, to invest in the messy, sometimes unpredictable magic of human interaction, and to recognize that a handwritten name on a coffee cup might matter more than shaving three seconds off the transaction. That's the insight separating yesterday's cautionary tales from tomorrow's retail inspiration. 

Download the summary report of Shifting Priorities in Retail Design for more insight into global consumers' shifting priorities. For a deeper dive by insight, region, sector, generation, or format, contact JLL Design’s Emily Miller at emilya.miller@jll.com.