Robots in shopping centres: attractions that work

In a shopping centre, a robot works best as a scheduled attraction – timed shows, a photo session, a store-opening moment – run by an operator inside a protected zone. It works poorly as an unsupervised helper roaming among shoppers and children all day. This guide covers formats, the lesson from an early retail robot, families and crowds, cameras, and what to agree with the centre.

What centres and retailers hire robots for

Openings and relaunches – a ribbon, a first customer, a photo for local media.
Weekend and holiday attractions – timed shows that bring families to a particular court or level.
Brand promotions – a robot at a pop-up, tied to a product or campaign.
Footfall to a zone – drawing people towards a new tenant or a quiet wing.

In China the format is already widespread. Sixth Tone reported in March 2025 that merchants there rented robots out for promotional events, exhibitions and store openings, and the head of one Shanghai rental firm said robots like the Unitree G1 still had limited functionality, with clients seeing them mainly as "marketing symbols". In February 2026, a South China Morning Post report republished by The Korea Times described a rental platform, Botshare, aimed at uses including shopping mall promotions and retail openings, with a headline price of 999 yuan for a 90-minute session including an engineer on site, in a limited number of cities. Chinese prices say little about European rates; see the pricing guide.

The lesson from Fabio

Retail has tried robots as staff before. In January 2018, Retail Week reported that a SoftBank Pepper robot nicknamed Fabio had started work at the Edinburgh flagship of Margiotta, a grocer, in an experiment for the BBC. Shoppers were frustrated by its answers, it struggled to hand out samples and to move around the shop, and it was let go less than a week after its first shift; the owner said people seemed to be avoiding it.

The point is not that robots fail in shops. It is that an attraction and a service are different jobs. A robot that performs on a schedule, with a human beside it, plays to its strengths. A robot that must answer every shopper's question competes with staff who know the shop far better.

Shows, not shifts

A trading day is long and batteries are not. Unitree gives the G1 humanoid's battery life as about two hours, and the Go2 robot dog's as about one to two hours with the standard battery (two to four for the EDU version with its long-endurance battery). So plan:

Short shows at fixed times, announced on signs and over the PA, with the robot resting or charging in between. humanoid4rent's trade-show page suggests a show every 30 or 60 minutes; the same rhythm suits a mall court.
A charging point out of public view, in a back room or service corridor.
Operator shifts. For all-day or multi-day bookings, ask who the operator is, how long they can work before needing a break and who covers the rest of the run, as the safety page recommends. See also operators and staffing.

Children, families and crowds

Malls bring young children, buggies and crowds that build quickly around anything unusual. Manufacturers are cautious here. Boston Dynamics' terms of sale say its Spot robot is not intended for use near children or others who may not appreciate the hazards of its operation, except as its documentation provides, and Unitree tells G1 users to keep the robot at a sufficient distance from people.

In practice:

Use a barrier or a low platform, plus a steward whose only job is the boundary.
Decide whether children may touch the robot; if so, define when, where and how, with the operator in control.
Design a queue for photos so the crowd does not close in from all sides.
Ask the supplier for the manufacturer's guidance on public use of the specific model.
Check the floor at the actual spot. Polished stone is common in malls, and the safety page lists it with cable mats, deep carpet, gratings and thresholds as difficult surfaces for legged robots.

The humanoid, robot dog or telepresence guide compares the options, and safety at public events goes deeper on crowds.

Cameras, microphones and shoppers

Many robots carry cameras: Unitree lists a depth camera and 3D LiDAR on the G1, and an HD wide-angle camera and a 4D LiDAR on the Go2. If anything is recorded, the European Data Protection Board's guidelines on video devices expect a warning sign that people can see, roughly at eye level, before they enter the monitored area, naming who is responsible and why, and flagging anything surprising, such as how long footage is kept. The same guidelines say facial recognition carries heightened risks, and that for typical surveillance purposes footage should in most cases be erased after a few days. Agree with the centre and the supplier who is responsible for the data, switch recording off if you do not need it, and put it in writing. More in cameras, microphones and privacy.

If you want a Pepper

humanoid4rent's Pepper page describes the wheeled robot with its chest-mounted touchscreen as used for reception, wayfinding and retail engagement – but check its status. The Robot Report wrote in July 2025 that Aldebaran had stopped producing Pepper in 2020 or 2021 and had been placed in receivership, and that Maxvision Technology had bought its core assets, including Pepper and NAO. The same page advises checking with the supplier that units are available and the software is still supported; also ask about spare parts and language packs before you build a campaign around one.

Agree with the centre

House rules for performers and contractors, and any method statement they require.
Public liability limit, named insured and certificate – see insurance and liability.
Out-of-hours access for load-in, the route, lifts and door widths.
Power for charging and who supplies it.
Security and storage overnight for multi-day runs.

Shopping centre checklist

Format: timed shows, photo sessions or an opening moment
Show times and how they are announced
Protected zone, barrier or platform, and a steward
Touch and photo policy for children
Floor finish at the actual spot
Charging point out of public view
Operator shifts and break cover
Camera and microphone settings, signage and data responsibilities
Insurance certificate and centre sign-off
Load-in, overnight storage and load-out

Put it into one request so every supplier prices the same days and the same show pattern.

FAQ

Can a robot run all day in a shopping centre?

Not continuously. Unitree's figures are about two hours for the G1 and one to two hours for the standard Go2, so plan short shows with charging or battery swaps in between.

Is a robot dog or a humanoid better for a mall?

A robot dog is smaller and tends to suit family audiences; a humanoid draws more attention for shows and photos. Both need a protected zone and an operator.

Do we need signs if the robot has cameras?

If it records people, plan for them: EDPB guidance expects visible information before people enter the monitored area. Ask whether recording can be switched off if you do not need it.

Can children touch the robot?

Only if the supplier agrees and the operator controls the moment. Some manufacturers warn against use near children, so follow the supplier's rules for the specific model.

Sources

How this guide was made: prepared with AI assistance; every factual statement was checked against the sources listed above on 12 October 2026. Spotted an error? Write to info@humanoid4rent.com.