Chinese robotics firm Galbot opens first Hong Kong stores with humanoid robot staff

Beijing robotics firm Galbot will launch three Hong Kong convenience stores on Tuesday operated by wheeled humanoid robots, marking its first international expansion beyond the Chinese mainland where it already runs roughly 200 outlets.

The new shops in Hung Hom, Kai Tak and Wan Chai follow an opening ceremony on Monday and represent the company's initial deployment outside the 50 mainland cities where it has operated since launching its first store last August.

First overseas push targets Hong Kong platform

Chief strategy officer Zhao Yuli described the Hong Kong rollout as "a genuinely important step for us in going overseas," positioning the city as a strategic "window and platform for [mainland] China facing the international market". The company, which established a Hong Kong office in 2024, intends to open approximately 10 additional stores across high-traffic districts in coming years.

AstraBrain software handles orders, drinks

Each outlet relies on wheeled humanoid robots driven by Galbot's proprietary embodied foundation model, AstraBrain, which enables the machines to accept orders, deliver products and operate connected coffee equipment. Human staff remain necessary for specific tasks including certain replenishment duties, though Zhao said the firm expects full automation eventually.

The deployment extends a mainland expansion that has seen Galbot scale from a single location to a nationwide footprint in under 18 months, testing whether robotics-driven retail can compete with Hong Kong's dense network of traditional convenience chains.

Source: South China Morning Post