Over RMB 1 Million in Sales in 21 Days! Robot Stores Emerge as a Hot Channel for Toys and Trendy Gadgets

Recently, toy car brand Bburago’s F1 Robot Store delivered impressive results: its Guangzhou Zhengjia Square outlet surpassed RMB 1 million in sales within 21 days of opening, achieving a maximum daily sales volume of RMB 80,000 and reaching RMB 300,000 in just 5 days. This unmanned retail vending machine format is rapidly emerging as a new sales channel in the toy and trendy gadget industry.

Rapid Channel Expansion
Bburago’s F1 Robot Stores are uniformly customized by Dongguan Taida Gift & Trading Co., Ltd., operating under a "brand customization + distributor operation" model, where distributors are responsible for site selection, deployment, and maintenance. Since its launch in August 2025, the channel has expanded into 14 cities, including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Hangzhou, with a total deployment of 1,000 units by December. An additional 1,000 units are planned for 2026. Most locations are situated in business districts and commercial complexes with high foot traffic and a concentrated young demographic, covering both community-based and urban core consumer scenarios.

Key Drivers Behind the Sales Boom
The channel’s success is driven by two key factors. First, F1’s popularity has surged, propelled by Zhou Guanyu becoming China’s first full-time F1 driver, increased attention from celebrities, extensive TV broadcasts, and the widespread dissemination of content on short video platforms. This has transformed F1 from a niche sport into a mainstream cultural phenomenon, boosting sales of licensed toy cars from brands such as Red Bull, Ferrari, and McLaren. Second, the robot stores employ a "new product launch + limited-edition release" strategy: outlets in Chengdu, Wuhan, and other cities have introduced multiple new F1 models and auto show exclusive editions, effectively meeting fan consumption demands.

Industry Status and Entry Insights
Robot stores are not a new concept. Pop Mart pioneered this model as early as 2017, deploying 2,437 units globally and generating related revenue of RMB 698 million in 2024. With the rising popularity of blind boxes and collectible formats, along with enhanced machine customization, robot stores can now accommodate toys and trendy gadgets of various sizes. However, this channel is better suited for standardized, small commodities with high repeat purchase rates. With an average annual revenue of approximately RMB 300,000 per unit, profitability requires large-scale deployment. Therefore, robot stores are more appropriate as a supplementary offline channel or as a tool for market testing.