## China Launches "World's First" Humanoid Robot Mall in Beijing **News Title/Type:** Technology, Robot Retail **Report Provider/Author:** Yahoo, Christopher McFadden **Date/Time Period Covered:** Launch coincided with the 2025 World Robot Conference (August 8–12) and precedes the first World Humanoid Robot Games (August 14–17). --- ### Key Findings and Conclusions: China has inaugurated the **"world's first" Robot Mall** in Beijing, a pioneering retail concept dedicated to selling robots to the general public. This innovative establishment operates on a **"4S" model**, mirroring car dealerships, which encompasses: * **Sales:** Offering a wide variety of robots. * **Service:** Providing maintenance and support. * **Spare Parts:** Ensuring availability for repairs and upgrades. * **Surveys:** Gathering customer feedback for improvement. The mall aims to **normalize human-robot interaction** by allowing consumers to test and interact with products, positioning robots as everyday companions rather than mere novelties. This initiative is seen as a significant move reflecting China's **soft-power ambitions** and its leadership in robot manufacturing and lifestyle integration. ### Critical Information: **Product Offerings:** * **Variety:** Over **100 types of robots** from up to **200 brands**, including prominent names like Ubtech Robotics and Unitree Robotics. * **Price Range:** Units vary from **consumer gadget-scale robots priced around 2,000 yuan (approximately $278 USD)** to **large, sophisticated multi-million-yuan humanoid robots**. * **Showpiece Robots:** Features include a **life-size Albert Einstein humanoid robot valued at about $97,000 USD**. * **Diverse Robot Types:** The mall offers robotic dogs, chess-playing bots, dancing machines, animatronic historical figures (e.g., Emperor Qin Shi Huang, Isaac Newton, Li Bai), and practical robots for cooking, coffee-making, medicine dispensing, painting, basketball, and obstacle courses. **Mall Features:** * **Location:** Situated in a **four-storey building** within Beijing's high-tech **E-Town district**. * **Robot-Themed Restaurant:** Customers are served by robot waiters, with dishes prepared by robotic chefs. * **Entertainment Area:** Visitors can watch robot sports, including soccer and track events. * **Dedicated Service Area:** A specific zone for spare parts and servicing. **Strategic Context and Financial Data:** * **National Strategy:** The development aligns with China's broader strategy to **offset slowing economic growth and an aging population** by heavily investing in AI and robotics. * **Government Support:** Beijing has **sanctioned over $20 billion in subsidies last year** and plans to establish a **1 trillion yuan (~$137 billion USD) fund** to support AI and robotics startups. * **International Competition:** The initiative is a response to accelerated technological aspirations, prompting U.S. robotics companies like Tesla and Boston Dynamics to urge the federal government to develop a national strategy to keep pace. **Key Statements:** * Wang Yifan, a store director at the mall, emphasized the need for tailored solutions for consumers, stating, **"If robots are to enter thousands of households, relying solely on robotics companies is not enough."** ### Notable Trends and Changes: * **Shift in Robot Perception:** The mall's design and interactive nature aim to shift the public's perception of robots from futuristic novelties to everyday companions. * **Retail Innovation:** The "4S" style mall format for robots represents a significant innovation in the retail sector for advanced technology. * **Government-Industry Collaboration:** The initiative highlights strong government backing and investment in the robotics sector. ### Risks or Concerns: While not explicitly stated as risks, the news implies a competitive landscape where other nations, like the U.S., are being urged to develop strategies to keep pace with China's advancements. The success of integrating robots into daily life will also depend on consumer acceptance and the development of tailored solutions, as noted by the store director.
China launches ‘world’s first’ humanoid robot mall that operates like a car dealership
Read original at Yahoo →China has opened what it is calling the world's first 'Robot Mall' in Beijing. This first-of-its-kind 4S-style store is dedicated to the exclusive sale of robots to the general public.The '4S' format means the mall offers sales, service, spare parts, and surveys (customer feedback), all under one roof.
This is similar in format to car dealerships in China, except dedicated to all things humanoid.According to reports, the mall will sell over 100 types of robots from up to 200 brands like Ubtech Robotics and Unitree Robotics. It is located within a four-storey building, located in Beijing’s high-tech E-Town district.
Units on sale vary from small consumer gadget scale robots (priced at around 2,000 yuan or $278) to large, more sophisticated multi-million-yuan humanoid robots. The mall also features some showpiece robots, including a life-size Albert Einstein humanoid (worth about $97,000).From robotic cooks to Einstein humanoidOther interesting pieces on sale include robotic dogs, chess-playing bots, dancing machines, and animatronic historical figures like emperor Qin Shi Huang, Isaac Newton, and the renowned Chinese poet Li Bai.
The mall will also sell more practical robots for cooking, coffee-making, medicine dispensing, painting, basketball, obstacle courses, and more. Customers will also be served by robots at the mall's specialist robot-themed restaurant. Here, robot waiters will serve dishes cooked and prepared by robotic chefs.
The mall features an entertainment area where visitors can watch robot sports like soccer and track events. Consumers will also benefit from a dedicated area of the mall for spare parts and servicing.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFtLm_XqZD0&pp=ygUSQmVpamluZyByb2JvdCBtYWxsVisitors to the 'Robot Mall' are encouraged to test and interact with many of the products on display, making the experience closer to a tech playground than a traditional showroom.
The layout is designed to familiarize the public with robots as everyday companions rather than futuristic novelties, underscoring China’s aim to normalize human-robot interaction in daily life.A push to showcase China's soft-power ambitionsThe timing, location, and heavy media coverage of the launch make it as much a showcase of China’s soft-power ambitions as it is a retail venture, positioning the country as a leader not only in manufacturing robots, but also in marketing their lifestyle integration."
If robots are to enter thousands of households, relying solely on robotics companies is not enough," Wang Yifan, a store director at the mall, told Reuters, emphasizing the need for tailored solutions for consumers.According to reports, the development is part of a bigger push on the international stage for China, with the country investing heavily in AI and robotics to offset slowing economic growth and an ageing population.
To this end, Beijing sanctioned more than $20 billion in subsidies last year and is planning to set up a 1 trillion yuan (~$137 billion) fund to aid artificial intelligence and robotics startups.The opening of the mall coincided with the 2025 World Robot Conference (August 8–12) and precedes the first World Humanoid Robot Games (August 14–17), to be held in the nation's capital.
In the wake of China's accelerated technological aspirations, U.S. robotics companies like Tesla and Boston Dynamics have urged the federal government to develop a national strategy to keep pace.
