Geek+ Chinese Robots Revolutionize UK Retail Warehouse Operations

Chinese robotics company Geek+ has supplied autonomous mobile robots to major UK retailers, including Tesco, Asda and Next. Through its UK partner MotionTech, more than 2,000 robots have been deployed across ten warehouse sites, making Britain Geek+'s largest European market.

The robots navigate using QR‑code markers and safety fencing, allowing flexible re‑configuration without fixed infrastructure. Their adoption is driven by chronic labour shortages and a decade of weak productivity growth in the UK retail sector. An OECD report has highlighted the country's lag in robotics uptake, noting that increased automation is seen as essential for competitiveness.

Retailers say the robots speed up order picking, reduce errors and help meet online demand, while unions call for safeguards to protect jobs and reskill workers as automation expands.