Chinese warehouse robotics company Geek+ is expanding across Britain as retailers use mobile robots to process online orders faster and address labour shortages. Tesco, Asda and Next are among the UK companies using its technology, while local partner MotionTech has deployed more than 2,000 robots across 10 warehouse sites.
The squat, wheeled machines travel beneath storage racks, lift entire shelves and carry them to employees responsible for picking orders. Geek+ builds and tests fleets of these robots at its factory in Hefei before shipping them to warehouses worldwide.
Mobile Robots Offer Flexible Warehouse Automation
Geek+ says its systems can increase picking speeds, reduce errors and allow warehouses to store more goods in spaces that employees may find difficult to access. Unlike fixed conveyor systems, autonomous mobile robots can be installed using floor markers, software and safety barriers.
The company listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in July 2025, becoming the first autonomous mobile warehouse robotics company to complete a public listing. Its official listing announcement described the transaction as Hong Kong’s largest robotics H-share offering at the time.
Britain has become Geek+’s largest European market. Barry Pemberton, an account director at MotionTech, said customers are seeking systems that can support high order volumes, faster picking and denser storage with fewer workers.
Britain Lags in Advanced Automation
The UK has recorded weak productivity growth for more than a decade, while many warehouses remain at an early stage of automation. The OECD’s 2026 report on UK technology adoption found that British companies perform well when adopting mature tools such as cloud computing and data analytics but trail in advanced technologies, including robotics.
The Trades Union Congress supports using automation to improve productivity and working conditions rather than primarily reducing employment costs. Its pro-worker technology guidance calls for employees and unions to participate in workplace automation decisions and for companies to invest in retraining.
China Builds on Its Manufacturing Supply Chain
China has made robotics a national industrial priority as its working-age population declines. Components developed for the country’s electric vehicle sector, including batteries, motors, cameras, sensors and semiconductors, can also be used by robotics manufacturers.
Electric vehicle producer XPeng is developing its Iron humanoid robot, while companies including AgiBot and Unitree are investing in machines designed to work in factories and other human-built environments. Tesla is pursuing a similar approach through its Optimus programme.
Geek+ is also working on humanoid systems that could eventually pick, handle and pack goods. However, developers acknowledge that current humanoid robots still lack the dexterity and reliability required for some repetitive warehouse tasks.
For now, wheeled robots and automated arms provide a clearer commercial case because they perform specific duties at lower cost. Humanoids may initially work alongside those machines rather than replace existing warehouse systems.
Featured image credits: Geek+
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