Humanoid robots restocking store shelves at night in Denmark... Is the end of manual labor near?

Retail stores in Denmark are preparing to test a new phase of automation by training humanoid robots to arrange products and restock shelves after closing hours, an experiment that could transform the nature of daily tasks within stores.

The trial is being conducted at one branch of the “Footway” chain north of Copenhagen as part of a long-term project implemented by the Salting Group, which operates more than 2,100 stores across six European countries.

Since June 2026, the Danish company “HiFive Robots” has been training robots whose frames are manufactured by a Chinese company, using technology that allows a human operator to control their movements via a virtual reality headset, enabling the robots to gradually learn to perform tasks independently.

Although the robots are still slower than human workers, the developing company hopes to be able to restock certain shelves overnight without human intervention by early 2027.

Footway management notes that arranging products accounts for approximately 40% to 50% of employees’ working time, emphasizing that the project aims to assist staff rather than replace them.

Rolling out the technology across all branches could take around five years, with the possibility of expanding the robots’ future tasks to include detecting product shortages and monitoring expiration dates.