Beijing (TDI): Beijing recently wrapped up its first consumer festival dedicated to robots, drawing remarkable attention from both tech enthusiasts and everyday shoppers. Over 19,000 robots and related devices were sold during the two-week event, with sales surpassing 330 million yuan (about $46 million), according to the organizers.
Industry experts say the impressive figures show how quickly robotics is moving from the laboratory to people’s homes, and how government-backed initiatives are encouraging consumer adoption.
The festival, known as the E-Town Robot Consumption Festival, ran from August 2 to 17 in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area. It not only showcased the latest humanoid and service robots but also introduced shoppers to a newly launched 4,000-square-meter Robot Mall, described as a “4S store” for robotics.
A government voucher scheme proved central to the sales boom. With subsidies of up to 1,500 yuan for individuals and 250,000 yuan for corporate buyers, the program spurred nearly 700 million yuan in purchases during the event. Some individual orders exceeded 1 million yuan, accounting for a quarter of overall sales, according to Robot Mall manager Wang Yifan.
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Online buzz added fuel to the festival’s momentum. Hashtags linked to the event trended on platforms such as Sina Weibo, while Douyin and Kuaishou videos racked up around 450 million views. Organizers estimated nearly half a billion online mentions throughout the campaign, according to Global Times.
Local businesses also benefited. Six major malls in the E-Town district saw 1.6 million visitors, a 20 percent increase from last year, generating 160 million yuan in revenue, up 30 percent year-on-year.
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The festival coincided with the 2025 World Robot Conference, which highlighted new applications of humanoid robots in fields ranging from healthcare to industrial production.
China already leads the world in robot installations and has held the largest stock of operational robots since 2016, according to the International Federation of Robotics. Analysts believe events like this festival will help sustain that momentum, fueling research, boosting consumption, and unlocking new drivers for economic growth.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
