China Opens ‘Robot Mall,’ Its First Mall for Robots

China opened its first full-scale shopping center dedicated entirely to robots on Friday, as part of a broader push to bring robotics from research labs into people’s homes.

The four-story Robot Mall, located in Beijing’s high-tech E-Town district, showcases more than 100 robots from over 40 brands, including Chinese companies like Ubtech Robotics and Unitree Robotics. The store operates like a car dealership, but for robots. It follows the “4S” model common in China, offering sales, service, spare parts, and surveys or opportunities for customers to provide feedback all in one location.

“If robots are to enter thousands of households, relying solely on robotics companies is not enough,” Wang Yifan, a director at the mall, told Reuters.

Robots at the new mall start at 2,000 yuan ($278) and go up to several million yuan. A talking humanoid replica of Albert Einstein is going for 700,000 yuan ($97,473).

The mall also includes a themed restaurant where robot waiters serve dishes and drinks prepared by robot chefs. Visitors can also watch robots play soccer or Chinese chess, interact with robot dogs, or meet animatronic versions of historical figures like Isaac Newton, Emperor Qin Shi Huang, and the famed Chinese poet Li Bai.

The opening of Robot Mall coincides with two major robotics conferences in the city this month.

Friday was also the first day of the 2025 World Robot Conference, which runs through August 12. Over the course of the conference, nearly 500 experts from over 20 countries will gather to discuss the latest trends in robotics. Approximately 200 robotics companies will also be present to showcase their latest research and development breakthroughs in over 1,500 exhibits.

Just days later, Beijing will host the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games, taking place from August 14 to 17. Humanoid robots will face off in a series of 21 events, testing their skills in everything from athletics, soccer, and dance to handling materials, drug sorting, and other performance-based and scenario-driven challenges. So far, more than 100 teams have registered to compete.

All of this is part of China’s broader push to win the global robotics race. The country is pouring tons of resources into the sector, including more than $20 billion in subsidies over the past year alone. Beijing is also reportedly planning a one trillion yuan ($137 billion) fund to help support AI and robotics startups, according to Reuters. Some U.S. robotics companies, including Tesla and Boston Dynamics, have already called on lawmakers to develop a national strategy that can compete with China’s.

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