Nanouk Verhulst

Papers

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About

Nanouk Verhulst is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of retail innovation, service technology, and human-robot interaction. Her work explores how emerging technologies—particularly physical service robots—reshape frontline work and customer experiences. In her highly cited 2022 study, "Frontline employee expectations on working with physical robots in retailing" (44 citations), Verhulst provides one of the first empirical investigations into how retail employees anticipate robots will alter their job characteristics, emotional labor, and task autonomy. Using a mixed-methods approach, she reveals critical tensions between efficiency gains and workforce anxieties, offering actionable insights for technology adoption in service settings. Her 2021 paper, "How COVID-19 Could Accelerate the Adoption of New Retail Technologies and Enhance the (E-)Servicescape" (22 citations), further demonstrates her forward-looking perspective, analyzing how pandemic-driven digital acceleration can transform physical and digital retail environments. Verhulst’s work is notable for centering the human element—employees and their expectations—in conversations about automation, making her research essential for scholars and practitioners navigating the future of retail work.