The Chinese robot army transforming the UK's retail industry

What the report says

BBC World News reports that Chinese warehouse robotics company Geek+ is expanding rapidly in the UK, where weak productivity growth, labour shortages and a large e-commerce sector are increasing demand for automation. The BBC visited the company’s factory in Hefei, eastern China, where its autonomous mobile robots are assembled and tested before being sent to warehouses worldwide.

According to the BBC, major British retailers including Tesco, Asda and Next use Geek+ systems, which move shelving or goods to workers rather than relying on fixed conveyor infrastructure. The company and its UK partner MotionTech say more than 2,000 Geek+ robots are now deployed across 10 UK warehouse sites, making Britain the firm’s largest European market. Geek+ says the robots can speed up order picking, improve storage density and reduce errors.

The report places the trend in the context of Britain’s long-running productivity challenges. It cites the OECD’s 2026 report on technology adoption, which said wider use of robotics could help improve UK productivity and described low robotics adoption as notable given the country’s industrial history. The Trades Union Congress told policymakers that automation should raise productivity and improve work, with workers and unions involved in decisions and retraining.

The BBC also links Geek+’s growth to China’s wider robotics push, supported by supply chains developed around electric vehicles, sensors, batteries and motors. Chinese companies are also working on humanoid robots, though the report notes their commercial role in warehouses remains uncertain. For now, UK logistics sites are becoming an important overseas market for China’s current generation of warehouse automation technology.