There is a tech gadget set to ramp up Christmas sales.

Harvey Norman product and marketing manager, Bradley Steven expects the Sphero BB-8, the latest app-enabled droid robot to hit New Zealand stores, to sell out ahead of the launch of the new Star Wars movie next month, according to NZ media.

The Sphero BB-8 can record and view virtual holographic images and can respond to the user’s voice as it zooms around at a speed of 7km per hour.

Harvey Norman has ordered hundreds of the robots and expects them to be one of the most popular gifts this Christmas.

“We expect the Star Wars BB-8 to be a top seller, with the majority of the stock already selling reasonably well. A week before Christmas, it will go nuts,” Steven said.

In the United States, the robots sold out at launch and they have been popular overseas with high global demand, according to Steven.

JB Hi-Fi New Zealand general manager of buying, Rod Korff, said the droid was a must-have stocking filler.

“There has been a lot of interest in the gadget already, but I expect that to ramp up right before Christmas with the movie launch in December,” Korff said.

This story first appeared in Appliance Retailer