Hong Kong’s first fully autonomous robot retail stores to open Tuesday

Hong Kong’s first fully autonomous robot retail stores will begin operations on Tuesday, with the initial three Galbot Store outlets opening at the Hung Hom waterfront, Wan Chai waterfront and Kai Tak Sports Park.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po completed the first transaction at the Kai Tak outlet ahead of the official launch.

The stores mark a new step in the commercial deployment of embodied artificial intelligence, with robots handling retail operations in a real-world environment rather than remaining confined to research and development settings.

Hong Kong Investment Corporation chief executive Clara Chan Ka-chai said the corporation had invested in Beijing-based Galbot as early as two years ago as part of its push to support technology companies with growth potential.

HKIC has invested in more than 200 companies so far, she said, with more than 70 percent of its mainland and Hong Kong portfolio companies having successfully expanded into overseas markets.

Chan said the corporation hoped to accelerate the growth of its portfolio companies by connecting them with resources across the HKIC ecosystem, including domestic and international capital, talent, supply chains, application scenarios and customers.

Using Galbot as an example, she said the company had already attracted investment interest from family offices and sovereign wealth funds, adding that successful investments could generate a stronger “flywheel effect” for Hong Kong’s financial and innovation ecosystems.

Galbot founder and chief technology officer Wang He said the opening of the company’s first humanoid robot retail stores in Hong Kong represented an important step from technological research toward real-world operations, as well as from the mainland market toward international expansion.

He expects robots to be able to understand more complex instructions and take on a wider range of jobs by around 2028, before gradually entering household settings.

The company also hopes to work with Hong Kong universities, research institutions and industry partners to establish embodied AI laboratories, develop talent and accelerate the commercialization of related technologies.

Potential applications could extend beyond retail into industries including manufacturing, education, culture and public services, said Wang.
 

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓