4 Minutes
Beijing's Four-Story Robot Mall Brings Robots to the High Street
China has opened its first full-scale shopping center devoted entirely to robots — a four-story "Robot Mall" in Beijing’s high-tech E-Town district designed to take robotics out of labs and into everyday life. The center displays more than 100 robots from over 40 brands, including well-known Chinese developers such as Ubtech Robotics and Unitree Robotics, and presents a new model for robot retail and after-sales support.
Retail model: Robot showrooms with a 4S approach
The mall operates like an automotive dealership adapted for robotics, following China’s familiar "4S" model: sales, service, spare parts, and surveys (customer feedback). Visitors can see humanoid companions, service robots, quadruped platforms, and consumer devices demonstrated on-site, purchase units, arrange maintenance, and participate in product trials — all under one roof.
Product features and demos
Featured robots span multiple categories: household assistants with natural language processing and object recognition, social humanoids with facial expressions and dance routines, industrial and logistics robots with payload handling, and agile quadrupeds for inspection and research. Many exhibits emphasize AI-driven perception, ROS-compatible control stacks, modular hardware for easier repairs, and app ecosystems for custom behaviors.
How the Robot Mall Compares to Traditional Retail
Advantages over online-only sales
Unlike e-commerce listings, the Robot Mall provides live demos, side-by-side comparisons, and direct access to technical support and spare parts. For high-investment devices such as humanoid robots and advanced home assistants, the tactile buying experience and immediate service channels can reduce adoption friction.
Comparison with pop-up showcases and expo booths
Compared with temporary trade-show exhibits, a permanent mall enables longer-term customer engagement, warranty fulfillment, and a centralized ecosystem for multiple brands — increasing visibility for both startups and established firms.
Events and Industry Context
The Robot Mall’s launch coincides with two major robotics events in Beijing. The 2025 World Robot Conference (running through August 12) gathers nearly 500 experts from more than 20 countries and about 200 companies presenting R&D breakthroughs across 1,500 exhibits. Shortly after, the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games (August 14–17) will stage 21 events testing athletics, soccer, dance, material handling, and drug-sorting scenarios with over 100 registered teams.
Market Relevance: Strategy, Funding, and Global Competition
China’s move is part of a concerted national push to lead the global robotics race. The government has injected billions into the sector — reportedly more than $20 billion in subsidies in the past year — and plans a large-scale fund (reported at about one trillion yuan) to back AI and robotics startups. These investments are accelerating commercialization of perception systems, AI control, and manufacturable hardware.
Use cases and advantages for adopters
Practical use cases include eldercare assistants, retail greeters, home automation hubs, inspection robots for infrastructure, and logistics automation. For consumers and enterprises, the mall simplifies discovery, speeds prototyping partnerships, and shortens the buyer-to-service lifecycle.
Why it matters for global robotics
The Robot Mall illustrates how retail infrastructure, industry events, and state funding can combine to move robotics from experimental R&D into mainstream markets — a model prompting calls abroad for stronger national strategies to remain competitive with China’s rapid commercialization of robotics and AI.
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