Galaxy General Opens Robot Retail Store in Hong Kong Ahead of September 1 Launch
HK01 · 1 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
Galaxy General has opened its first robot retail store outside mainland China in Hong Kong, with full commercial operations scheduled to commence on September 1. The innovative outlet, branded as the Galaxy Space Cabin, offers a selection of beverages and Hong Kong-themed souvenirs, with Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po serving as the store's first customer during its launch ceremony. Despite demonstrating the robot's capabilities, Chan experienced language barriers during his shopping experience, as the artificial intelligence system initially responded in Mandarin rather than Cantonese. The company, which operates over 200 similar stores across mainland China, views Hong Kong as a strategic stepping stone toward global expansion.
Key Points
- The Galaxy Space Cabin retail outlet is located in Hong Kong and will officially begin operations on September 1, marking the company's first store outside mainland China .
- Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po experienced communication difficulties when the robot店长 responded in Mandarin despite his Cantonese queries about gifts for a child starting school the next day .
- The store offers Hong Kong-themed souvenirs including pineapple bun-shaped items priced at HK$69.9 and taxi models at HK$110, alongside beverages like Nongfu Spring .
- Payment options include Octopus, credit cards, WeChat Pay, and Alipay, ensuring broad accessibility for local and mainland customers .
- Galaxy General founder and Chief Technology Officer Wang He emphasized that the robots operate autonomously using large language models and can theoretically communicate in multiple languages .
Why It Matters
Paul Chan noted that financial institutions project humanoid robot populations could reach one billion globally by 2050, creating a US$5 trillion industry, with Hong Kong positioned to serve as an application platform, research hub, and capital connector in this emerging sector .
Paul Chan noted that financial institutions project humanoid robot populations could reach one billion globally by 2050, creating a US$5 trillion industry, with Hong Kong positioned to serve as an application platform, research hub, and capital connector in this emerging sector .