Liu Qiangdong and Wang Xing opened the first internet-famous store in 2026.

If we were to choose the "Model Worker of the Year" in the tech circle in 2025, robots would definitely be worthy of the title.

Last year, humanoid robots were like the busiest workers in the entire universe.

They were the star backup dancers on various stages, performing from the Spring Festival Gala to concerts. They were also regulars at various sports events, including marathons, football games, and boxing matches. In places where people couldn't see, they could also be found in automobile factories and logistics production lines.

On the last day of 2025, humanoid robots supported the first internet - famous store in 2026, Unitree's global first - store, through "self - selling".

On December 31st, Unitree's first offline store opened at JD Mall in Shuangjing, Beijing. The hard - working robot models showed off their unique skills. Some robots performed backflips, and some stepped onto the boxing ring. Visitors to the store could also get up close and personal with the popular robotic dogs.

During the New Year's Day holiday, many tech fans came from places like Hebei and Tianjin to check out the store. After all, here they not only had the chance to experience the top - notch tech products hands - on, but also could scan the code and take their favorite ones home on the spot if they liked them.

The reason why this store became an instant hit after opening was not only due to Unitree's star status in the tech circle but also thanks to the support of Liu Qiangdong from JD. Before the store opened, the title "Liu Qiangdong Acquires Unitree" had already gone viral across the internet.

Why did JD and Unitree, two seemingly unrelated companies, join hands to promote a "robot supermarket"?

The Hottest Boy Band in 2026 Had the Most Tiring Year

2025 was the year when humanoid robots became extremely popular, and it was also the real "working year" for them.

Since Unitree's robots made their debut at the Spring Festival Gala, the robots had the most tiring year as they were constantly pulled out to prove themselves.

The various models of Unitree's robots formed the "Unitree Boy Band", and they could be seen in almost all the popular events that people were keen on.

After marathons became a popular activity, robot marathons were held one after another.

At the Chongqing AI Marathon in March, 12 Unitree G1 robots ran alongside the running group. At the Beijing Yizhuang Humanoid Robot Half - Marathon, 21 robots directly competed with 12,000 human contestants.

At the World Robot Games, the robots stepped onto a more challenging stage. They not only had to run and hurdle but also participate in combat and football matches.

Robots also brought about a new business in the entertainment industry, which was robot rental. Last year, robots began to frequently appear on commercial performance stages and became the most sought - after "temporary actors" in commercial events.

During this busy year, humanoid robots also created the biggest contrast in robot history.

In the first half of the year, the situation of humanoid robots was: the harder they tried, the sadder they got.

Although the exposure of humanoid robots reached an unprecedented level, in many cases, they were just big show - offs, contributing various embarrassing moments of falling over.

On the sports field, besides trying their best in the competitions, the robots also caused a lot of jokes. For example, one robot knocked down another remote - control operator during a 1500 - meter sprint and then "fled the scene".

There was also an unlucky one that failed a strike in free combat and fell down instead, being provoked by the opponent.

Even the official video caused a stir overseas because a robot kicked an engineer in anger.

Therefore, in the impression of many ordinary people, Unitree's robots were just the "grandmas" in red jackets with somewhat stiff movements on the Spring Festival Gala stage.

The turning point came unexpectedly. Somehow, these "show - offs" suddenly became smart.

On social platforms, Unitree's robots started to wear traditional Chinese clothing and perform Chinese martial arts.

Last month, the stage of Wang Leehom's concert in Chengdu became the place where Unitree's robots achieved great success. Six G1 humanoid robots perfectly blended into the rhythm of the backup dancers. At the climax, they even collectively completed a "Webster" flip, directly setting the whole place on fire. When the video was posted overseas, even Elon Musk couldn't help but repost and like it.

Humanoid robots spent a whole year transforming from being objects of ridicule to a tech boy band pursued by capital, becoming one of the hottest sectors in 2025.

The hottest Unitree completed its Series C financing in June and started the IPO process in July, aiming to be the "first humanoid robot stock" on the STAR Market. It not only had a valuation of over 12 billion yuan but also attracted an "investment boy band" composed of China Mobile, Tencent, Alibaba, and Geely Capital, becoming a real tech up - and - comer.

Opening a Supermarket to Sell Robots: The Hidden Strategies of the Giants

As soon as the news that Unitree's robots were entering JD Mall came out, it caused a stir in the industry.

After all, putting high - tech robots that cost tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of yuan in a supermarket for people to experience and buy at will was a unique move in the world, which undoubtedly subverted the industry's perception.

Behind this seemingly "unprestigious" move were the ambitions of the two companies.

1. Unitree Clings to JD's Coattails to Make up for the Shortcomings in Scenarios and Channels.

For Unitree, this move is a matter of life and death. Although its technology is amazing and financing is going smoothly, commercialization has always been the Sword of Damocles hanging over its head.

Previously, Unitree had tried to enter the live - streaming room and launched its robots on JD. When its consumer - grade humanoid robot G1 priced at 99,000 yuan and industrial - grade H1 priced at 650,000 yuan were first launched on JD online, they were snapped up instantly, but problems were also exposed. Products with high prices and strong experience requirements could not impress ordinary people just through online pictures and videos.

Just like when buying home appliances, no one would buy a refrigerator or a TV just by looking at the parameters. Robots need to be experienced up close to feel their smooth movements and interactive sensitivity.

Unitree urgently needed a window to directly communicate with consumers. It had also tried offline experiences before. In July 2025, it opened an agent experience store at Zhengzhou Dennis David City, and the effect was good, but the coverage was too narrow.

JD Mall was like a tailor - made stage for it. The store had over 100,000 visitors in two days after opening, and its sales exceeded 10 million yuan in two hours. The visitors were mostly young tech enthusiasts and families with consumption power, which were exactly Unitree's target customers.

More importantly, Unitree is sprinting for an IPO and urgently needs to verify the product value through terminal scenarios. JD's resource of 8 million enterprise users can help it quickly connect with B - end demand scenarios such as logistics, power, and catering.

The closer it gets to users, the faster Unitree's commercialization will be.

2. JD Acquires the Top Robot Brand to Secure an Entrance Ticket to the Tech Circle

For Liu Qiangdong, Unitree's offline store is just the tip of the iceberg of his layout in the intelligent robot sector.

JD's actions in the robot field this year can't even be described as "bold moves".

Liu Qiangdong invested in six robot companies in 74 days, covering multiple sub - sectors such as industrial, consumer, and service robots. On July 21st alone, he set a record in the industry by leading three investment deals in one day. So far, Liu Qiangdong's "robot army" has expanded to include the "Six Rising Stars in Hangzhou".

In addition, JD established a special department for embodied intelligence, and Liu Qiangdong personally served as the dean of JD's Exploration Research Institute, recruiting artificial intelligence scientists globally.

At the 2025 World Robot Conference, JD directly launched the "Intelligent Robot Industry Acceleration Plan", investing over 10 billion yuan in resources with the goal of helping 100 robot brands achieve sales of over 1 billion yuan in three years.

From these actions, it can be seen that Liu Qiangdong is determined to enter the field of embodied intelligence, and Unitree is the biggest star in this sector.

The cooperation with Unitree is a crucial step in this big strategy. Through the offline store, JD not only tied up with the hottest robot brand at present but also sent a signal to the outside world: JD can sell not only digital products, home appliances, and cars but also robots.

This robot store in the supermarket is far more than just a sales point; it is a new battlefield for the two companies.

The Under - the - Radar Competition of Humanoid Robots Has Just Begun

It's easy to open a store, but for robots to truly enter millions of households, the road ahead is still full of thorns.

In the past year, the first thing people noticed about robots was their emotional value. They were fun, eye - catching, and could create topics. However, emotional value can only solve the problem of traffic and cannot support the sustainable development of the industry.

Even in the busiest year for robots in 2025, some investors were still not optimistic about this industry.

Zhu Xiaohu from Jinshajiang Venture Capital bluntly said that due to "unclear commercialization", he was withdrawing from investments in humanoid robots in batches. At the end of the year, some industry bigwigs even criticized this field as a big bubble.

For robots to truly gain a foothold, they still need to answer a more realistic question: Can they create economic value?