During the two-hour broadcast window of China’s Spring Festival Gala on the evening of February 16, consumer interest in robots surged sharply on JD.com. Search volume for robots rose by more than 300% month‑on‑month, customer service inquiries climbed about 460%, and orders increased roughly 150% as the e‑commerce platform listed several “same model as on the Gala” devices at around 10pm. New orders arrived from more than 100 cities, ranging from first‑tier metropolises to small county seats, underscoring geographical breadth as well as intensity of demand.
Several domestic robotics brands saw inventory evaporate within minutes. Products from Magic Atom (魔法原子), Yushi Technology (宇树科技) and Songyan Power (松延动力) were immediately snapped up, and two GALBOT G1 general‑purpose robots — described in reports as totaling nearly RMB 630,000 — were also purchased during the rush. The episode was not merely a retail spike but a high‑visibility validation of robotics as mainstream entertainment and consumer hardware.
The Gala’s promotional power is central to understanding the phenomenon. China’s New Year broadcast is still one of the most watched cultural events in the country, and on‑screen exposure can transform niche hardware into mass‑market curiosities almost instantaneously. For a sector that has struggled to translate industrial and research breakthroughs into consumer adoption, the evening offered startups and established firms alike a rare and effective marketing channel.
But the sales rush highlights structural tensions. Many service and companion robots remain expensive, purpose‑specific and lightly stocked; shortages after a high‑profile appearance risk frustrating buyers and can create logistical and after‑sales burdens for manufacturers. Converting a one‑off purchase driven by novelty and spectacle into sustained use, repeat business and brand loyalty will require broader distribution, lower unit costs, robust maintenance networks and demonstrable utility beyond stage performances.
For the robotics industry and investors, the episode is both a proof of concept and a cautionary signal. The demand spike signals appetite for embodied AI and consumer robotics, encouraging further capital and product development. At the same time, it raises questions about whether current supply chains, manufacturing scale and software ecosystems are mature enough to absorb rapid growth without quality, service or reputational setbacks.
In short, the Spring Festival Gala has handed the robotics sector a moment of mass attention that could accelerate commercialisation — provided companies can follow through with reliable production, meaningful product use‑cases and after‑sales support. Otherwise, the flash‑sale headlines risk becoming a short‑lived publicity peak rather than the start of broad consumer adoption.