Stella, a customer-facing robot for physical businesses, is now in private beta, with early deployments underway in stores across the United States.
Stella helps stores welcome customers, highlight promotions, and answer common questions in person. Her private beta rollout marks the start of live deployment in real retail environments, where first impressions, promotions, and repeated customer interactions often shape the flow of the visit.
One of Stella’s early deployments is at an ARCO ampm store in Northern California run by Shaan Singh. There, Stella is supporting a busy convenience retail environment, where promotions, questions, and quick customer interactions are part of the normal pace of the business.
“Stella gives us a new way to connect with customers as soon as they walk in,” said Shaan. “In a store like ours, people are moving quickly, so it helps to have a digital employee at the front that can greet them, highlight what matters, and make the experience feel more engaging.”
“Private beta is where Stella begins proving herself in real businesses,” said Harish Palani, CTO. “These early deployments matter because they show how Stella can fit into the rhythm of an actual store and help businesses communicate with customers more clearly from the moment they arrive.”
Early deployments are helping establish how a customer-facing robot can support day-to-day store operations in a visible and consistent way. For retailers, that can mean bringing more attention to current offers, making common information easier to access, and improving how the business communicates with customers as soon as they enter.
About Stella
Stella is a customer-facing AI robot for physical businesses. She welcomes customers, highlights promotions, and answers common questions in stores and other in-person settings.
