Geek+ expands warehouse robots in UK

Chinese robotics manufacturer Geekom, based in China — Hefei, has become the world's largest supplier of autonomous mobile robots and is expanding its presence in British warehouses. Major UK retailers including Tesco, Walmart — Asda, and Next use Geekom's technology to increase picking speeds, maximize storage, and reduce errors. The UK is Geekom's largest European market, with partner MotionTech deploying over 2,000 robots across 10 warehouse sites. The expansion occurs amid UK labor shortages and weak productivity growth, with the OECD noting the UK's low robotics adoption is surprising given its manufacturing heritage. The Trades Union Congress urged that robotics be used to raise productivity and improve jobs rather than cut labor costs. The event also touches on China's strategic robotics push under Xi Jinping's 'new quality productive forces' initiative, and the US recently banned imports of new foreign-made advanced robots on national security grounds, drawing criticism from China. Chinese companies like XPeng and Tesla are developing humanoid robots, but their warehouse applications remain limited.