A humanoid robot dances in front of a robot 6S store in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 28, 2025. (Xinhua/Liu Lihang)

A new "7S" store dedicated to humanoid robots has opened in a bustling commercial district of Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, drawing large crowds as the country's rapidly growing robotics industry brings cutting-edge technology closer to daily life. 

Operated by the Hubei Humanoid Robot Innovation Center, the store showcases robots performing tasks ranging from cashier and caregiving to industrial assembly and entertainment. 

The "7S" model builds on the traditional automobile "4S" concept -- sales, service, spare parts and survey -- by adding solution, show and school functions to create a full-chain ecosystem for both industry and consumers. 

"From AI gadgets to humanoid robots and accessories, we offer more than 70 products priced from a few hundred to several hundred thousand yuan," said Li Zhengxiang, chairman of the innovation center. 

Beyond retail, the store serves as a training and education hub, offering operator and maintenance courses for engineers and programming classes for students. In its experience zone, children can play football with humanoid robots or watch robot boxing matches for a small fee. 

Wuhan is rapidly emerging as a major hub for China's humanoid robotics industry, home to six complete machine manufacturers, more than 80 core enterprises, and nearly 1,000 related companies. 

The city is also promoting the use of humanoid robots in sectors such as automobiles, pharmaceutical logistics and smart home appliances. It has already built several demonstration production lines and model factories. 

Local officials said Wuhan will establish a 1-billion-yuan (about 141 million U.S. dollars) industrial investment fund to support enterprise development across multiple fronts and build a 100-billion-yuan humanoid robot industry cluster by 2027. 

"With its strong industrial base and abundant talent pool, Wuhan has the unique advantages in developing humanoid robot industry," Li said. "By placing our 7S store in a commercial area, we aim to make advanced technology accessible to everyone, and every customer interaction helps us improve future products and applications." 

The Wuhan outlet is part of a nationwide wave of robot-themed retail experiments. 

In July, a robot "6S" store, said to be the world's first, opened in Shenzhen, China's southern tech hub. A month later, Beijing's Robot Mall, a 4,000-square-meter robot "4S" showroom, debuted during a robot consumption festival, featuring more than 50 products spanning medical, industrial and companion robotics. 

Industry analysts say such efforts reflect China's push to integrate robotics into daily life. A think tank report forecasts that by 2045, China will have over 100 million humanoid robots deployed across industries, creating a total market value of approximately 10 trillion yuan.