World's 1st Robot Mall opens in Beijing, boosting hi-tech consumption

The Chinese capital of Beijing has launched a marketplace exclusively for robots during the World Robot Conference, transforming machines from lab prototypes to consumer products.

Officially opened on last Friday, the shopping mall offers more than 100 kinds of robots, integrating robot sales, spare parts supply, after-sales service, and information feedback.

Every robot has a price tag. For humanoid robots, prices vary dramatically, differing by tenfold.

The supply chain maturity and robotic functionality are critical factors behind pricing, according a manager of the robot mall.

"Most robots currently serve specialized functions. Their capabilities vary significantly across different scenarios like industrial settings, medical applications, and daily companionship. This functional divergence directly impacts production costs," said Meng Yanpei, a manager of the mall.

Consumers to the mall are met with a wide range of robotic solutions, from logistics bots to transport droids, which cost 2 million yuan (about 278,000 U.S. dollars).

The total revenue of the shopping mall has reached nearly 2 million U.S. dollars, said Meng.

"For B2B clients, the majority procure industrial or task-specific robots. E-town currently offers sales subsidies for these professional-grade machines. So, sales of these robots are good. On the consumer side (B2C), chess-playing and companion robots, such as Wukong robot, Loona robot, and SenseRobot, dominate on-site sales," said Meng.

The mall's physical presence allows customers to interact with robots firsthand, compare models side by side, and make informed purchasing decisions—bringing a sense of tangibility to what was once futuristic tech.

"Yes. Yes. We will have a huge demand in the future, because it's the new direction of the whole world, like cars," said a Russian customer.

The 2025 World Robot Conference has brought together more than 200 robotics companies from around the world to present their latest innovations, including more than 50 companies displaying hundreds of humanoid robots.

Co-hosted by the Chinese Institute of Electronics and the World Robot Cooperation Organization, the five-day 2025 World Robot Conference features forums, exhibitions, competitions and networking events.

World's 1st Robot Mall opens in Beijing, boosting hi-tech consumption

One person died and nine remain missing after a pickup truck plunged into a river Saturday night in Huanjiang Maonan autonomous county, Guangxi, local authorities said Sunday.

According to the statement, a report was received at 9:08 pm that a pickup carrying 15 people had fallen into the water while crossing a low-water bridge in a village. By 2 am, rescuers had pulled six people from the river. Five were reported to be out of life-threatening danger, while one was confirmed dead.

The rescue operation involved 65 fire rescue personnel and 12 vehicles. Teams were equipped with sonar detectors, diving gear, and mobile lighting, China Central Television reported.

Searches were coordinated across 12 locations along the river. The bridge where the pickup plunged measures roughly four meters wide by 100 meters long, according to personnel on site, it added.

Local public security, emergency management, firefighting, and maritime affairs departments have been mobilized for the all-out rescue effort. The forward command center designated the core search zone based on rapid water flow conditions and rising water levels caused by heavy rainfall in the area. The incident took place after an employer had organized 28 workers to plant sweet potatoes locally. After work concluded, 13 workers returned independently, while the remaining 15 boarded the pickup truck.

Relevant individuals to the incident have been placed under legal control. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.

The Office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters on Sunday dispatched a working group to Guangxi to assist with and guide the ongoing search and rescue operations.

Search and rescue underway after pickup truck plunges into river