Salling Group Started Robot Restocking Trials in June
The Denmark-based retailer is testing robots to automate repetitive shelf replenishment by early 2027.
Updated on Oct. 11, 2026 in Robotics
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In June 2026, Denmark's Salling Group launched a trial using Hive Robots at its supermarkets to begin automating the restocking process. These robots currently perform tasks at night under direct human guidance.
Why it matters
The retailer aims to shift staff labor away from the 40 to 50 percent of time currently spent on manual replenishment toward more customer-facing service roles. The pilot serves as a training phase for the machines to learn product handling in real-world environments.
The robots, built by Unitree, currently rely on human operators to guide every movement during night hours. This supervised training phase is required for the artificial intelligence to eventually achieve autonomy by early 2027.
The players
Salling Group
A major European retailer operating more than 2,000 stores across six countries.
Hive Robots
The developer of the robotic systems currently being tested for supermarket automation.
Unitree
A robotics manufacturer that built the hardware currently deployed in the Salling Group trials.
The details
The Hive Robots function by mimicking human motions to learn how to handle various supermarket products. These machines are being tested specifically during night hours when stores are closed to minimize interference with shoppers. By providing manual guidance, operators allow the system to map physical interactions with shelves, which is a necessary step before the units can independently check for empty slots or verify expiry dates.
Timeline
June 2026: Robots began training in stores.
Early 2027: Target date for independent robot restocking.
The Tech Race
This pilot follows the industry-wide effort to solve high-turnover labor shortages by automating repetitive logistical tasks. It marks a departure from static inventory monitoring by attempting to move robots into the physical replenishment workflow.
Shoppers will not see changes in store until at least early 2027, as robots currently operate only during night hours. The long-term shift intends to increase staff availability for customer service, though the impact on store layouts remains to be seen.
The takeaway
The transition from human-guided machine learning to fully autonomous inventory management remains a critical development hurdle for Salling Group. Watch for performance updates in early 2027 to confirm if the robots can reliably manage stock without human intervention.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest developments in automated labor systems in our Robotics section.
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