TOKYO - Humanoid robots capable of stocking shelves, managing inventory, packaging products, and serving customers in more than 20 languages were showcased at an international retail industry event in Tokyo on October 8, highlighting the growing potential of artificial intelligence to transform store operations as Japan struggles with chronic labor shortages.
The event, focused on the future of the global retail industry, brought together participants from 18 countries, primarily in Asia, with more than 30 companies exhibiting technologies designed to reshape the shopping experience and improve business efficiency.
Among the most prominent attractions was physical AI, a technology that combines artificial intelligence with robotic systems, allowing machines to perceive their surroundings, make decisions, and perform physical tasks. Unlike conventional industrial robots that operate according to predetermined instructions, these systems use AI to recognize objects and respond to changing environments.
While some humanoid robots entertained visitors with dance performances, others demonstrated more practical applications for everyday retail operations.
One of the central exhibits was the C1, a store-oriented humanoid robot developed by CP AI Robotics, a company operating primarily in Thailand. Equipped with proprietary artificial intelligence, the robot can identify individual products, manage inventory, transport merchandise, replenish shelves, and pack purchased items into bags.
The robot is also designed for customer-facing duties. It can communicate in more than 20 languages and uses a combination of facial expressions and gestures to interact with shoppers, potentially allowing retailers to serve international customers without requiring additional multilingual staff.
Unlike industrial robots built for controlled manufacturing environments, the C1 has been developed specifically to operate alongside people in existing commercial spaces. Its design allows it to perform tasks in stores where employees and customers move freely, reflecting a broader shift toward robots that can work in environments originally designed for humans.
The company plans to begin full-scale deployment of the C1 in Japanese convenience stores as early as 2027, positioning the technology as a potential response to staffing difficulties across the country's retail sector.
Weidong Sun of CP AI Robotics said labor shortages have become a serious operational challenge for Japan's convenience store industry, creating opportunities for robots to handle routine tasks and reduce pressure on employees.
Sun said introducing one or more robots per store could help reduce operating burdens while improving security during nighttime hours, when maintaining sufficient staffing can be particularly difficult.
"We hope to contribute to solving Japan's labor shortage," Sun said, emphasizing that the company's objective is to create systems in which robots and humans work together rather than replace employees entirely.
"We basically want to provide services in an environment where robots work alongside people. We are not aiming for completely unmanned stores. We believe the human touch is absolutely essential," Sun said.
The demonstration comes as businesses across Japan face increasing pressure to maintain services with limited staffing. Convenience stores, which depend heavily on employees to handle deliveries, replenish merchandise, manage transactions, and assist customers, are among the businesses exploring automation as a way to improve productivity.
Humanoid robots offer a different approach from conventional retail automation because they are designed to operate in spaces already occupied by people, potentially reducing the need for extensive changes to store layouts or operating procedures.
Their expanding capabilities also raise broader questions about how employment may evolve as artificial intelligence moves beyond computer-based applications into physical workplaces.
Rather than eliminating the need for workers, the technology showcased in Tokyo points toward a model in which machines take responsibility for repetitive and physically demanding activities while employees concentrate on customer relationships, judgment-based decisions, and other tasks requiring human interaction.
With commercial deployment in Japan potentially beginning in 2027, the next stage of development will test whether humanoid robots can deliver the reliability, operational efficiency, and customer acceptance needed to become a regular presence in convenience stores and other retail businesses.
Source: YOMIURI
