Beijing to open world's first 4S store for humanoids

The world's first 4S store for humanoid intelligent robots will officially open in Yizhuang, Beijing, during the 2025 World Robot Conference, which is scheduled to take place on Aug 8-12, officials announced on Wednesday.

In China, a "4S store" refers to an authorized dealership model that integrates sales, service, spare parts and survey — a format that has become the standard in the country's automotive sector.

"The innovative platform will establish a service system covering the entire lifecycle of robots, reshape the industry value chain with a new model, and set a benchmark for industry development," said Liang Liang, deputy director of the management committee of the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area.

Fueled by breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and motion control, the global humanoid robot market is projected to surpass 1 trillion yuan ($139.17 billion) within the next three years. Applications are expected to expand from industrial manufacturing to commercial services and domestic use, Liang said.

He added that the store will strengthen the local robotics ecosystem in Yizhuang, enhancing industrial clustering and innovation.

Traditional fragmented sales and service models can no longer meet enterprises' growing needs for technology validation, scenario adaptation, and full lifecycle operation and maintenance, said Wang Yifan, deputy general manager of Beijing Yizhuang Robot Technology Industry Development Co.

The new 4S store will integrate robot sales, spare parts supply, after-sales service and customer feedback to build an end-to-end service system and enable more efficient supply-demand connections, he said.

The store will feature scenario-based displays, immersive interactions, standardized delivery and after-sales services, helping bring cutting-edge technologies closer to market demand.

It will also establish a nationwide rapid-response spare parts network and a professional maintenance team to ensure timely repair, maintenance, assembly and related services.

Backed by Yizhuang's robust robotics sector and home to Beijing's first robot industry park, the project has attracted interest across the industry. More than 100 upstream and downstream enterprises in the robotics supply chain, including 30 specializing in humanoid robots, have expressed intentions to join.

At Wednesday's news conference, 10 leading companies, including the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center and UBTECH Robotics, signed partnership agreements with the 4S store and may be among the first to set up operations there.

"With the upgrading of consumer demand, people's expectations for humanoid robots are also evolving," said Ren Haidong, director of commerce at High Torque Robotics in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, one of the participating companies. "Robots will become more integrated with diverse real-life scenarios."

Ren added that Yizhuang has offered preferential policies such as discounted rent and guidelines on talent development, which could help companies address challenges related to hiring recent university graduates.

Yizhuang, the permanent venue of the World Robot Conference and a key hub for Beijing's robotics industry, is now home to more than 300 enterprises in robotics and intelligent manufacturing. The area's industrial chain has reached a scale of more than 10 billion yuan, accounting for about 50 percent of Beijing's total robotics sector.