Unmanned, not unmanaged: phygital service design for enhanced retail experience and well-being

Purpose This paper reconceptualizes unmanned formats as phygital organizations that delegate operational, cognitive, emotional and stewardship tasks to customers. Situated within the Phygital Service Research (PSR) paradigm, it aims to examine how this customer-as-worker model shapes trust and service outcomes, and identifies human-digital mechanisms that resolve the autonomy-assurance tension. Design/methodology/approach A multi-actor, multisource qualitative study in Sweden combined semi-structured interviews with operators across nine unmanned formats, Subjective Personal Introspection (SPI) journeys, netnography of public discussions and secondary materials. Data were analyzed via thematic analysis using a PSR-aligned human-first logic. Findings Results reveal a causal model where Role Delegation via Self-Service Technology (Antecedent) activates two core mechanisms: Assistive Transparency and Concierge and Behavioral Governance. These mechanisms shape Trust and Well-being outcomes (Perceived Competence, Autonomy, Security), moderated by boundary conditions (Location, Social Cohesion, Tech Maturity). Hybrid human-digital configurations (e.g. remote concierge, scheduled presence) and trust-by-design (predictive assistance, transparent automation, one-tap reporting) mitigate burden, reduce incidents, and enhance autonomy, competence and reassurance. Originality/value The paper contributes the Conceptual Model of Phygital Governance and Well-being, distinguishing the phygital customer-as-worker from physical and pure-digital contexts. It integrates Service-Dominant Logic, PH-CX and Competence-as-Recognition within the PSR framework to deliver mechanism-based design guidance that prioritizes human-first outcomes over efficiency optimization.