Case Study: S Group achieves faster, greener grocery delivery with Starship autonomous robots

How S Group Embraced Starship’s Autonomous Robots to Lead Finland’s E-Commerce Grocery Revolution

S Group, Finland's largest retail company, was facing heightened competition and shifting customer expectations that demanded a fast, on-demand grocery delivery solution. Their existing e-commerce model was built for scheduled pick-ups and van deliveries, leaving them without a service to attract digital-first users and increase activations on their S-Kaupat mobile app. To address this challenge and refresh their brand image, they partnered with vendor Starship to implement its autonomous robotic delivery service.

Starship deployed a fleet of over 650 self-driving robots to deliver groceries from 165+ S Group stores across Finland. The solution was fully integrated into the S-Kaupat app, allowing for deliveries within a three-kilometer radius in an average of 22 minutes. The results were significant, with robot deliveries growing 640% year-over-year to over 850,000 completed orders. The service also led to a 49% surge in app downloads, an 85/100 customer satisfaction score, and an estimated reduction of 240 tonnes of CO2 emissions by replacing car trips.

S Group

Aatos Paloheimo

Business Development for Quick Commerce