First Fully Robot Operated Bodega Store Opens in China

What Happened?

A completely robotically operated bodega has opened in Beijing, China described by its owners as ‘the first autonomous humanoid-operated’ store in the country. The store is supplied with humanoid robots manufactured by Galbot, which perform all of the tasks that a human clerk would do in a traditional convenience store. 

According to a video posted by Galbot, its humanoid robots run everything, from greeting visitors to serving drinks, snacks, and pharmaceuticals, Galbot autonomously handles every order, with zero teleoperation, powered by Galbot’s proprietary systems. Galbot CEO Wen Airong said the company plans to deliver the humanoid-operated kiosks to at least one hundred stores across ten Chinese cities within the next calendar year.

Why it Matters

The production of humanoid robots has increased during the past decade, but they have typically been viewed as mere curiosities without any practical or commercial applications. Galbot’s fully automated bodega illustrates that humanoid robots do have both commercial and practical uses. The word ‘bodega’ is Spanish for wine shop, but the term has come to refer to small convenience stores that sell goods such as snacks and beverages. 

Customers can either scan and pay for goods themselves, or after choosing their selection, have the robot shopkeeper retrieve it for them. After that, the process bears similarity to the way human-operated convenience stores work. A key difference is that humanoid robots can work continuously if they are supplied with power and are free from mechanical problems. 

While some fear that humanoid robots will replace human workers entirely, the two can work together, with the robots performing dull repetitive tasks humans dislike, freeing the human workers to focus on other aspects of operations. While the automated bodega in Beijing is just a prototype, like any store, its success or failure will ultimately depend on its volume of sales compared to its cost of operating. 

Whether robot-run stores will be cheaper to operate compared to human-staffed stores remains to be seen, but experiments like the autonomous bodega store in Beijing will likely provide the first real evidence. The store will also offer an opportunity for Galbot to refine its robot product line by improving the language interface to help the robots understand regional accents spoken by customers. 

While robot stores look and sound like something out of science fiction, technology is quickly bringing them into the realm of science fact. Overcoming technical hurdles is just the first step. Making robotic stores appealing to customers will be the second and more difficult challenge.

How it Affects You

As humanoid robot technology continues to evolve, the likelihood of average customers encountering them will increase. While robotic stores may not be on every street corner anytime soon, such stores will likely appear in increasing numbers in bigger cities first, where larger pools of customers offer more sales potential.