Danish grocery stores test humanoid robots for overnight stocking

Danish supermarket chain Føtex is partnering with tech startup HIVE Robots to test humanoid machines on store floors. According to an announcement from HIVE Robots, the initial trials will begin before summer 2026 and will focus on restocking shelves at night while locations are closed to shoppers.

Grocery stores are designed for human bodies, with narrow aisles and tall shelves that standard box-shaped warehouse machines cannot easily navigate. As Føtex operations director Simon Kudsk explained in the release, matching the physical shape of a person allows machines to navigate existing store layouts safely. If successful, automated night shifts could keep shelves fully stocked without forcing human employees to work overnight hours.

HIVE Robots founder Jakob Sand compared the current state of physical robotics to where conversational AI stood a few years ago, arguing that real store testing is critical for training these systems. The company hopes to eventually place up to five humanoids in every store to assist staff constantly. However, it remains uncertain whether these machines can handle fragile goods efficiently without frequent human intervention, or if the high hardware costs will outweigh the savings on labor.