Economic Watch: Humanoid robots break new grounds for Chinese consumer market

JINAN, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- At a shopping mall in Zibo City, east China's Shandong Province, several unusual dancers have recently drawn crowds of curious onlookers. With smooth, powerful leaps and spins, they have sparked bursts of astonishment among shoppers -- until many realize that the dancers are, in fact, humanoid robots!

The robots were created by a local company specializing in embodied intelligence. According to Liu Hao, the firm's operations and marketing manager, the robots are primarily designed for cultural tourism performances, commercial shows, and exhibition guiding services, and have already made their debut at a handful of local malls and trade fairs.

In China, robots were once synonymous with industrial robotic arms on automobile assembly lines. Today, that perception is rapidly changing. From dance performances to companion services, an increasing number of humanoid robots are gaining favor at work and at home, injecting new vitality into the consumer market.

In Shandong, for example, the role of robots is going far beyond gala dancers.

At the "future robot 6S center" in Jinan City, nearly 50 robotics companies are showcasing their latest offerings, ranging from 2,000-yuan (about 287.4 U.S. dollars) compact home robots to high-end humanoid models engaging visitors across the exhibition floor.

"The center is like a premium one-stop store for robot buyers," said Wei Ziyao, head of the center, adding that it offers sales, service, spare parts, and survey systems, as well as scenario-based solutions and training programs for its products.

Wei noted that as application scenarios expand, robots are increasingly being custom-developed for enterprises, including reception, guided tours, delivery and cleaning services.

With year-end corporate events and shopping mall promotions approaching, demand for robot rentals has also surged, he added. Just over two months after opening, the center has generated nearly 2 million yuan in total revenue.

Booming market demand is creating substantial opportunities for robot manufacturers. At Shandong Youbaote Intelligent Robot Co., Ltd., engineers are busy testing humanoid robots' movements, including walking, running, arm lifting and turning around.

Liu Gong, the company's technical director, said its R&D teams are refining structural designs, optimizing robot structures, and upgrading motion-control algorithms to meet market needs.

For robots, even marginal improvements reflect another round of algorithmic iteration, he explained.

Fan Yong, chairman of Youbaote, said the company's quadruped and humanoid robots are expected to be deployed in a wide range of scenarios, including industrial production, emergency rescue, inspection and exploration.

According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China had more than 140 humanoid-robot manufacturers and over 330 humanoid-robot models by 2025. Data from the China Machinery Industry Federation showed that the country's service robot output reached 13.5 million units in the first three quarters of 2025, surpassing the annual number of 2024.

Amid the humanoid-robot boom, the fast-growing robotics industry is becoming an important engine of China's consumption growth.

According to global market research firm International Data Corporation (IDC), user spending on embodied intelligence robots in China exceeded 1.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2025 and is projected to surge to 77 billion dollars by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of 94 percent.

"China has already entered the global first tier in terms of mass production capacity and cost control for robots," said Fang Bin, a professor at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications.

As application scenarios continue to diversify, the industry's growth driver is shifting from supply-chain advantages to scenario-definition capabilities, Fang said.

China is working to expand the supply of high-quality consumer goods and services, including humanoid robots, to further stimulate domestic consumption.

The Recommendations of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China for Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development, released in October 2025, called for vigorous initiatives to strengthen brand development, upgrade standards, and promote the adoption of new technologies, thereby expanding and upgrading consumer spending. ■