A new QUT report has revealed most Australians trust new retail technology like self-checkouts and chatbots, but can be reluctant to use them because of the loss of human connection, data privacy concerns, tech glitches, and a lack of experience.
With the festive retail season now underway and shoppers flocking to shopping centres and online stores, the Trust Trend Report: Consumer Perceptions of Retail Technology in Australia 2025 has revealed what builds and breaks shoppers' trust.
Researchers Dr Shannon Colville, Dr Nadine Ostern and Jill Lovell (pictured above, left to right), from the QUT Centre for Future Enterprise, surveyed 500 people across Australia for the report.
Their key findings include:
- 70% of people trust retail technology, but only 54% feel confident using it
- 50% say they are using retail tech more than they did five years ago
- Shoppers are sceptical about who retail technology really advantages; 43% think retailers, not customers, are the main winners
- Customers like being able to choose between digital or human interaction, with 78% saying having a choice between staff or technology increases their trust
- The loss of human interaction now outranks data privacy as consumers' number one trust concern
- People trust specialty stores a lot more than supermarkets, with depth of knowledge and personalised service contributing to this trust
- Tasmania and Northern Territory consumers and older shoppers are the least ready to use retail tech
Lead author Dr Ostern, who is QUT's Cisco Chair in Trusted Retail, said trust in retailers was under pressure, with headlines raising concerns about pricing practices, data use, and customer treatment.
"Our report has found, in simple terms, that people trust the idea of retail technology more than the experience of using it," Dr Ostern said.
"The technologies we asked about included familiar tools such as self-checkouts, digital receipts, AI chatbots, and smart product recommendations – everyday systems now shaping how Australians shop.
"In the survey, trust was defined as believing that the technology is safe and fair, while confidence referred to people's comfort and readiness to use it.
"The gap between the two suggests that while Australians are open to digital retail, many still feel uncertain about how to interact with it."
The research team conducted a similar survey last year, which identified data privacy as Australian consumers' top concern relating to retail technology.
Dr Colville said while a lack of control over personal data remained a key issue in 2025, Australians were now most concerned about the loss of human connection.
"This shift suggests that consumer trust is becoming less about technical compliance and more about relational qualities and experiential value," Dr Colville said.
"Australians increasingly expect retail technologies not only to function securely, but to support experiences that feel personal, intuitive, and human.
"When systems feel cold, isolating, or overly automated, trust erodes – not because the technology is unsafe, but because it lacks a sense of human recognition or care."
The most consistent finding across both survey data and qualitative responses was the importance of consumer choice.
"Australians want to decide not just what they buy, but how they shop," the report authors wrote.
"This includes choosing between digital or human interaction, opting into or out of data sharing, and switching modes of engagement depending on the situation.
"Customers are not rejecting retail technology outright, they are rejecting systems that remove their agency."
The QUT researchers have several recommendations for retailers on ways they can turn everyday retail technology into trust-building tools, including:
- Offering hybrid service models that let customers choose between staff or tech interactions
- Smart checkouts could use cameras not just to prevent theft, but to alert customers if they doublescan an item or are about to overpay
- AIpowered recommendations should be designed to feel helpful, not pushy – especially when they're transparent about how data is used.
The report also calls for proactive trust design and new structural roles, such as a Chief Trust Designer, to shift trust from a risk to be managed to an enabler of innovation.
Main image at top of page: QUT researchers (left to right) Dr Shannon Colville, Dr Nadine Ostern and Jill Lovell.
