Hong Kong‘s first robot-operated convenience stores drew curious shoppers on Saturday as locals interacted with a humanoid shopkeeper, chatted with it in multiple languages and watched it dance.

Beijing-based embodied-intelligence robotics company Galbot launched three outlets in Hong Kong on Tuesday (September 1), operated by its G1 robot, a 173-cm-tall humanoid designed for retail tasks. The stores, which run 24 hours a day, offer snacks and drinks.

The robot, known as Xiaogai, speaks Mandarin, Cantonese and English. Galbot already operates about 200 retail stores across nearly 50 cities in mainland China. The Hong Kong outlets mark its first expansion outside the mainland.

Shoppers said the experience was entertaining but noted the technology still needs refinement, particularly in response times and its ability to handle unexpected situations.

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