China opens a grocery store completely operated by Bots, a sci-fi dream come true or just a gimmick?

Galbot launched a retail store operated by humanoid Bots in Beijing, planning to expand to hundreds of stores in ten cities within a year, sparking discussions on new retail transformations. (Background: How can Web3 marketers avoid being replaced by AI in the next 5 years?) (Background supplement: Bill Gates: AI will replace humans in 10 years, working two days a week is not a dream, three occupations may survive) In mid-September, a "smart store" appeared along the tourist route next to the Summer Palace in Beijing, with no cash register and no staff, yet bustling with customers. The reception, product searching, and checkout are all completed by the 173 cm tall humanoid Bot Galbot G-1, becoming the focal point of market discussions on Bots development. Business applications of humanoid Bots According to Futurism, when Galbot opened the world's first store of this kind in August, the area outside was filled with people wanting to witness the "robot cashier." YouTube videos shared online show that G-1 can smoothly grab products, scan barcodes, and deliver items to customers, completing a checkout process. Company's CEO Wen Airong elaborated on the goal during the opening of the second store in September: "We want to deploy a hundred retail points in ten cities in China within the next twelve months so that consumers can meet robotic cashiers every day." This statement officially moved the "concept validation" toward "scalable attempts." Dual thresholds of voice recognition and movement speed Although Galbot G-1's debut is highly talked about, the technical details are still testing the engineering team. 36Kr analysis points out that retail environments are filled with background noise and various local accents, making it difficult for the Bots to understand customer needs and respond correctly in real-time. The large amount of computation increases latency, which can easily lead to interrupted interactions. The second hurdle is movement efficiency. Reports mention that G-1's current movement speed is relatively slow, unable to swiftly navigate narrow aisles. ApaRobot's data reveals that G-1 weighs 85 kg and uses a complex dual-arm structure, with mechanical load and energy efficiency in a tug-of-war, increasing speed in a short time will inevitably raise costs. Ensuring natural voice interaction without sacrificing the stability of the body is the most urgent task for Galbot before expansion. The tug-of-war between capital heat and commercial reality Currently, venture capital is highly curious about humanoid Bots, but rational voices remind the market to remain calm. Industry analysis bluntly states that large-scale adoption will still take several years. Retailers cannot only consider "one-time purchase" when introducing, but also need to factor in long-term costs like subsequent maintenance, software updates, personnel training, and insurance. Compared to the continuously evolving "advanced vending machines," whether the interaction and brand recognition brought by humanoid Bots can support higher investments remains to be validated by data. The next step in the retail landscape Galbot this time demonstrates the feasibility of fully autonomous humanoid Bots to the outside world through two demonstration stores. Facing the three major hurdles of voice recognition, movement speed, and cost control, Galbot needs to present more convincing solutions before mass production. If efficiency and experience can be balanced, robotic cashiers may become the new norm in the retail industry; however, if bottlenecks cannot be broken, the early enthusiasm may recede with the tide. Investors, retailers, and consumers are all observing whether this tech show will turn into a daily scene or remain a fleeting topic in memory. From the physical verification on the streets of Beijing to the grand declaration of the expansion blueprint, Galbot G-1 stands at the crossroads of technology and business. The results a year later will reveal whether humanoid Bots can truly reshape the retail experience or if it is just a brave but currently too high-risk journey. Related reports 0G listing on Binance surged over 500%: Dual-track strategy builds the next generation of Decentralized AI infrastructure Who can power AI immediately? The undervalued energy vein of Bitcoin mining companies Stablecoin dedicated chain Stable announced it has received investment from PayPal: Stablechain will integrate PYUSD and expand application scenarios <China opens fully robotic-operated grocery stores, is it a sci-fi reality or just a gimmick?> This article was first published in BlockTempo, the most influential Blockchain news media.