HELSINKI – WEDNESDAY 10 DECEMBER, 2025: S-kaupat’s grocery delivery robots have completed one million orders in just under three years. Their popularity is soaring: robot deliveries now account for as much as 20 percent of all online grocery orders. For robot company Starship Technologies, operating in the far north has provided valuable lessons for succeeding in winter conditions.
Growth in S-kaupat’s online grocery service – part of the S Group – continues to accelerate. The annual growth rate has been around 20% for the past two years, but over the past year it has climbed to 27%. Home delivery, a long-standing trend elsewhere in Europe, has also overtaken pickup as the preferred delivery method in the S-kaupat service – 54% of customers now choose doorstep delivery.
“All forms of home delivery have grown in popularity, but among fast-delivery options, robot deliveries stand out. They now account for an impressive 20% of all orders,” says Iona Maaranto, Business Developer responsible for express delivery development in the S Group’s grocery business.
The milestone of one million robot deliveries has now been passed, and the journey toward the next million is well underway. Robot delivery is already available from more than 170 Alepa, Sale and S-market stores across Finland.
The friendly robots are currently rolling through 79 Finnish cities and towns, from Helsinki to Rovaniemi and from Pori to Mikkeli.
“New robots are already being introduced at Starship’s depot and will begin delighting customers early next year. Local cooperatives will announce when robots expand to new areas and stores,” Maaranto says.
In total, over 800 Starship robots operate in Finland and some of them in the far north have decided to get into the Christmas spirit.
Lapland’s Robots Dress Up for Christmas
Grocery robots have become a familiar sight in Finland, but abroad they continue to attract curiosity. Finland is the northernmost region in the world where delivery robots operate – and they do so nationwide, all year round.
“People come to see how the robots work from all around the world – this year, for example, from China and France,” Maaranto says.
The robots are now entering their third winter in Finland. Starship, whose R&D team is partly based in Helsinki, have developed special motor control software which is paired with snow tires for better traction and performance in challenging conditions. Snow-aware routing and ‘snow pile detection’ help to avoid large drifts of snow, and integrated battery heating is also in development that allows the robots to wirelessly charge faster when outdoors in sub-zero temperatures. Although the little robots are not fitted with the same industrial snow ploughs used to clear pavements and roads, a new chassis will soon allow the robots to battle through deeper snow than ever before.
In Rovaniemi, customers can order the world’s northernmost robot deliveries. In addition to delivering groceries, the robots have been dressed up as reindeer and elves to help spread the joy of the season.
“The world is watching closely as S Group introduces autonomous food deliveries. In particular, scaling up across the country at this pace and operating even in winter has attracted attention. Through this partnership, we have been able to significantly develop our robots,” says Susanna Rosenström, Customer Success Manager at Starship.
About Starship Technologies
Founded in 2014 by Ahti Heinla (chief architect of Skype) and Janus Friis (co-founder of Skype), Starship Technologies is the world’s #1 autonomous delivery company. With 9+ million deliveries completed and 2,700+ robots operating across 270+ locations in eight countries, Starship has built the largest autonomous delivery network globally.
