Jul 30, 2026 03:39 AM
(This post was last modified: Jul 30, 2026 03:43 AM by C C.)
The Chinese robot army transforming the UK's retail industry
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0jl8v23qwgo
EXCERPTS: At Geek+'s factory in the eastern Chinese city of Hefei, which the BBC visited, fleets of the robots are built and tested before being shipped to warehouses around the world. Some of Britain's biggest retailers - including Tesco, Asda and Next - now use the company's technology.
[...] Unlike traditional warehouse automation, which relies on fixed conveyor systems and permanent infrastructure, autonomous mobile robots can be deployed simply using QR code floor markers and safety fencing. Geek+, which listed in Hong Kong last year in one of the biggest robotics share sales of 2025, has become the world's largest supplier of autonomous mobile robots.
[...] The UK has struggled with weak productivity growth for more than a decade, and economists say wider adoption of robotics will be essential if businesses are to become more efficient. In its 2026 report SME Technology Adoption in the United Kingdom, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said technologies like robotics would be key to improving productivity.
According to the OECD, Britain's low adoption of robotics is "surprising" given its manufacturing heritage, noting that while UK firms have embraced mature digital technologies, they lag behind in robotics and automation. That presents an opportunity for companies such as Geek+. The UK has one of Europe's largest e-commerce and logistics sectors, but many warehouses are still in the early stages of automation.
Britain has already become Geek+'s biggest European market, with UK partner MotionTech deploying more than 2,000 robots across 10 warehouse sites.
[...] "We seem to have a very big shortage of labour in the UK at the moment. These technologies are really important to keep businesses thriving and meet demand." The Trades Union Congress (TUC), which represents almost 6 million UK workers, says robotics should be used to raise productivity and improve jobs, rather than simply cut labour costs.
[...] With China's working-age population shrinking, policymakers increasingly see automation as essential to boosting productivity and maintaining the country's manufacturing advantage. ... But China's ambitions to dominate the global robotics industry was dealt a blow this week when the US banned the import of new foreign-made advanced robots, citing national security.
The Chinese embassy in Washington responded to the move by saying that Beijing has long opposed the US' "politicising" of trade issues and sanctions based on "groundless pretexts".
[...] Chinese companies already account for the vast majority of global humanoid deployments, but it may be years before they are commonplace in warehouses. For Britain, where productivity pressures and labour shortages are driving demand for automation, the country's warehouses are becoming an early testing ground for China's next major technology export... (MORE - missing details)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0jl8v23qwgo
EXCERPTS: At Geek+'s factory in the eastern Chinese city of Hefei, which the BBC visited, fleets of the robots are built and tested before being shipped to warehouses around the world. Some of Britain's biggest retailers - including Tesco, Asda and Next - now use the company's technology.
[...] Unlike traditional warehouse automation, which relies on fixed conveyor systems and permanent infrastructure, autonomous mobile robots can be deployed simply using QR code floor markers and safety fencing. Geek+, which listed in Hong Kong last year in one of the biggest robotics share sales of 2025, has become the world's largest supplier of autonomous mobile robots.
[...] The UK has struggled with weak productivity growth for more than a decade, and economists say wider adoption of robotics will be essential if businesses are to become more efficient. In its 2026 report SME Technology Adoption in the United Kingdom, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said technologies like robotics would be key to improving productivity.
According to the OECD, Britain's low adoption of robotics is "surprising" given its manufacturing heritage, noting that while UK firms have embraced mature digital technologies, they lag behind in robotics and automation. That presents an opportunity for companies such as Geek+. The UK has one of Europe's largest e-commerce and logistics sectors, but many warehouses are still in the early stages of automation.
Britain has already become Geek+'s biggest European market, with UK partner MotionTech deploying more than 2,000 robots across 10 warehouse sites.
[...] "We seem to have a very big shortage of labour in the UK at the moment. These technologies are really important to keep businesses thriving and meet demand." The Trades Union Congress (TUC), which represents almost 6 million UK workers, says robotics should be used to raise productivity and improve jobs, rather than simply cut labour costs.
[...] With China's working-age population shrinking, policymakers increasingly see automation as essential to boosting productivity and maintaining the country's manufacturing advantage. ... But China's ambitions to dominate the global robotics industry was dealt a blow this week when the US banned the import of new foreign-made advanced robots, citing national security.
The Chinese embassy in Washington responded to the move by saying that Beijing has long opposed the US' "politicising" of trade issues and sanctions based on "groundless pretexts".
[...] Chinese companies already account for the vast majority of global humanoid deployments, but it may be years before they are commonplace in warehouses. For Britain, where productivity pressures and labour shortages are driving demand for automation, the country's warehouses are becoming an early testing ground for China's next major technology export... (MORE - missing details)