In the Danish town of Lyngby, just north of Copenhagen, the night shift at a Føtex supermarket has gained some unusual new colleagues. Humanoid robots, developed by the Danish start-up Hive Robots, are learning to restock shelves after closing time as part of a multi-year trial. The goal is to automate routine tasks and free up human staff to focus on customer service.
The robots, manufactured by Chinese robotics company Unitree, are designed to operate in spaces built for people. With arms, legs, and fingers, they can navigate existing store layouts without requiring costly renovations. Hive Robots says this adaptability is key to their appeal.
For now, the machines are slower than their human counterparts. But the start-up argues that advances in artificial intelligence will soon improve both their speed and precision. The trial, which began in June, is being conducted at a Føtex store owned by Salling Group, Denmark's largest retailer, which operates more than 2,100 outlets across Denmark, Germany, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania.
Teaching robots the basics
Getting robots to work in real-world settings is no simple task. It requires extensive training and data collected on the job. In a corner of the Lyngby store, a human operator uses virtual reality glasses and handheld controllers to guide a robot as it picks up pasta bags and places them on shelves. Each demonstration provides data that teaches the machine to perform the task independently.
“There are a lot of small things that we as humans don’t think about that basically we need to teach the robot,” said Roger Sala, a robot pilot at Hive Robots. These include adjusting grip strength, avoiding obstacles, and recognizing different package shapes.
Hive Robots develops the software and trains the machines, which are manufactured by Unitree. The Danish start-up hopes that by early 2027, the robots will be able to independently restock certain products overnight, with stores paying by the hour for the service.
Implications for workers
The deployment of humanoid robots in workplaces adds to the broader debate over whether AI will ease labour shortages or reduce demand for workers. A 2024 report from the International Monetary Fund estimated that AI could change how around 60% of jobs across the EU are done, helping workers perform some tasks while potentially taking over others. The report highlighted both opportunities for productivity gains and risks of job displacement.
Salling Group insists that the purpose of the trial is to support employees, not replace them. Føtex estimates that restocking accounts for 40% to 50% of staff time, and the chain has struggled to recruit young workers for the task. Simon Kudsk, operations director at Føtex, said it could take up to five years to have robots in every store. Future tasks could include identifying missing or misplaced products, removing empty cardboard boxes, and checking best-before dates.
“Our vision or the dream right now is that we eventually could have one or two humanoids in every Føtex store that could support our colleagues to make it more efficient and create more time for value-adding activities focused on customers,” Kudsk said.
The trial in Lyngby is part of a wider trend across Europe, where retailers are exploring automation to cope with labour shortages and rising costs. Similar experiments have been seen in other countries, though few have progressed to humanoid robots. The technology remains in its infancy, but the potential is significant.
As the robots learn, they are also raising questions about the future of work in the retail sector. While some see them as a solution to staffing challenges, others worry about the long-term impact on employment. For now, the robots are still slower than humans, but their progress is being closely watched by industry observers.
For more on related developments, see our coverage of cyberattacks on French supermarkets and Salling Group's robot trial.
