Chinese robotics firm Geek+ is expanding its presence in Britain as retailers increasingly turn to warehouse automation to tackle labour shortages and improve efficiency.

The company, which builds autonomous mobile robots that transport storage shelves to warehouse workers, has become the world’s largest supplier of such systems.

Its technology is already used by major UK retailers including Tesco, Asda and Next.

Unlike traditional warehouse automation, Geek+’s robots require minimal fixed infrastructure, allowing businesses to deploy them more quickly and at lower cost.

The move comes as Britain faces sluggish productivity growth and labour shortages, the BBC says in a report.

The OECD has identified wider adoption of robotics as key to improving efficiency, noting that UK businesses lag behind many peers in automation despite the country’s manufacturing heritage.

Britain has become Geek+’s largest European market, with partner MotionTech deploying more than 2,000 robots across 10 warehouse sites.

Industry executives say demand is being driven by the need for faster order fulfilment, higher storage capacity and reduced reliance on manual labour.

Trade unions have urged businesses to ensure automation improves jobs and productivity while investing in worker retraining rather than using technology solely to cut employment.

The rapid growth of Chinese robotics is part of Beijing’s broader strategy to strengthen advanced manufacturing.

Analysts say the sector is benefiting from technology and supply chains developed for China’s electric vehicle industry, while companies such as XPeng are expanding into robotics alongside vehicle production.

Geek+ said its long-term goal is to develop fully automated warehouses capable of handling picking, packing and other logistics tasks, although experts believe humanoid robots remain years away from widespread commercial use.