Veteran convenience store robot vending fails: trained tens of thousands of times in the lab, still drops bottles in front of the shelf

What happened: Hongqi Chain, a Sichuan convenience store operator, terminated its robot unmanned vending system project in early July 2026, about 16 months after announcing the joint development in March 2025. Key numbers: Shares rose about 35.0% from before the announcement to the April 23 close, with a limit-up the next day. Why it matters: Hongqi said the system had not reached standards for large-scale commercialization and will shift to scaled 24-hour remote staffing. Industry sources said the robot could not reliably grip items such as condensation-covered glass bottles.

Hongqi Chain, a Sichuan convenience store operator, terminated its robot unmanned vending system project in early July 2026, about 16 months after announcing the joint development in March 2025.

Hongqi said the system had not reached standards for large-scale commercialization and will shift to scaled 24-hour remote staffing. Industry sources said the robot could not reliably grip items such as condensation-covered glass bottles.