Hong Kong is preparing to open its first convenience store operated by a humanoid robot on the Hung Hom waterfront. The 24/7 outlet is designed as a compact “capsule” shop and will offer a range of products. The plan was disclosed in Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s weekly blog.
“Xiao Gai” Robot Shopkeeper
The store will be powered by a humanoid robot “Xiao Gai”, which is built by an embodied-AI firm from mainland China. It is built to interact with customers as they approach, start friendly chat, and guide them through buying items. The robot is expected to help both residents and visitors in multiple languages without human backup.
The outlet uses a nine-square-metre capsule format that can be adapted for different product types. Reported ranges include snacks, creative merchandise, and over-the-counter medicines.
The Capsule Store Concept
The operator is Beijing-based Galbot, which has previously received backing from the Hong Kong Investment Corporation. The company plans to open 100 capsules based on the same concept across 10 cities in the coming months.
The company is best known for its “space capsule” retail units in Beijing, including at the Summer Palace area and Zhongguancun Art Park. Its “Galaxy Space Capsule” store in Beijing’s Haidian District is billed as the world’s first retail store routinely operated by a humanoid robot and has reportedly served around 1,000 customers daily since opening.
Image credits: Paul Chan’s blog, Galbot