Life-like robots are for sale at a new store in China

Srinagar, Aug 08: A new store in Beijing is drawing attention with its futuristic inventory — from mechanical butlers to lifelike replicas of Albert Einstein. Launched on Friday, Robot Mall offers more than 100 types of robots, making it one of China’s first retail outlets dedicated to humanoid and consumer-focused machines.

"If robots are to enter thousands of households, relying solely on robotics companies is not enough," Wang Yifan, a store director, told Reuters. According to reports the robots on sale range in price from 2,000 yuan ($278, £207) to several million yuan.

The launch of Robot Mall comes alongside the opening of the five-day World Robot Conference, which kicked off in Beijing on Friday. Much like a car dealership, the store provides not only sales but also spare parts and maintenance services.

According to Chinese state media, this year’s conference will showcase over 1,500 exhibits from more than 200 domestic and international robotics companies. Beijing is also gearing up for the first-ever World Humanoid Robot Games, scheduled for August 14–17. Teams from over 20 countries will take part in competitions ranging from track and field to dance and football.

The opening comes as China pours significant investment into robotics and artificial intelligence (AI), aiming to tackle challenges such as slowing economic growth and a rapidly ageing population.