Galbot, Hong Kong’s First Robot Store Is Now Open At Kai Tak!

Think convenience store meets souvenir shop. The shelves hold packaged snacks and drinks (chilled and room temperature), freshly made coffee — Xiaogai operates the linked coffee machine itself — and Hong Kong-themed cultural and creative products, including pineapple-bun and egg-tart merchandise that makes a fun souvenir for visiting relatives. Prices range from about HK$14 to HK$139, so a bottle of oolong tea will set you back roughly the same as anywhere else in town.

One important heads-up: the stores are cashless. You place your order on a touchscreen in front of the robot, then pay by credit card, WeChat Pay, Alipay, or China UnionPay.

And if the kids just want to chat with Xiaogai without buying anything? That’s completely free. The robot converses in Cantonese, reportedly rather smoothly!

Plan Your Visit

Kai Tak isn’t the only spot to catch the action. Galbot Store has opened three outlets in Hong Kong: at Kai Tak Sports Park, the Hung Hom waterfront, and the Wan Chai waterfront — making it easy to fold a robot-shopping stop into a weekend harbourfront stroll. Worth noting for weather planning: the Hung Hom and Wan Chai units are outdoor, while Kai Tak is indoors.