Power the AI-first retail revolution with Lenovo's Solutions & Services Group

Lenovo's Solutions & Services Group (SSG) delivers AI-driven retail and manufacturing solutions which enhance efficiency, reduce shrinkage, and generate proven returns.

Retail and manufacturing have entered a decade shaped by artificial intelligence, automation, and rising customer expectations. In becoming “AI-first,” organisations must not only layer AI onto existing systems but also re-architect how they operate, compete, and grow.

Speaking with Retail Asia, Chief Technology Officer for Smart Retail at Lenovo, Angus Luk explains why AI must become a foundational capability and how Lenovo’s Solutions & Services Group (SSG) is enabling retailers and manufacturers to thrive in this new era.

“Being AI-first means embedding artificial intelligence at the core of the business,” Luk said. “It is about fostering resilience, agility, and sustainable value creation to transform how organisations operate, compete, and grow.”

As operations scale, retailers and manufacturers face mounting pressures, including macroeconomic uncertainty, labour shortages, rising operational costs, fraud and shrinkage, and rapidly evolving consumer expectations. 

These challenges are compounded by manual workflows, siloed data, and outdated tools, which lead to slower decision-making and limited productivity.

As Luk noted, “Addressing these complexities requires intelligent solutions that enhance efficiency, adaptability, and scalability.”
The urgency is reflected in the regional data on Lenovo CIO Playbook 2026: The Race for Enterprise AI, which states that 96% of organisations in the Asia Pacific plan to increase AI investment within the next 12 months. Retailers are leading adoption, with 67% progressing beyond early AI deployment stages. Notably, 89% expect positive ROI, yielding an average of $2.90 for every dollar invested. Manufacturers are also advancing, with 87% anticipating positive returns averaging $3.00 per dollar invested.

Lenovo Retail Solutions

To respond to this need, Lenovo transforms retail with end-to-end solutions that optimise operations and enable exceptional outcomes. As retail thrives on precision and efficiency, Lenovo integrates hardware, software, and services to elevate productivity.

The company uses a robust global partner ecosystem and delivers its vision through the Five Foundations for Smarter Retail: Smart Promotion, Smart Shelving, Smart Checkout, Smart Store Operations, and Smart Store Infrastructure. 

For instance, under Smart Promotion, Lenovo’s AI Retail Assistants embed real-time intelligence directly into the shopping journey, helping customers locate products, verify availability, navigate promotions, and complete service requests. It also has an Online Shopping Assistant that is connected directly to live inventory systems to help customers search, compare, and refine products effortlessly.

Meanwhile, under the Smart Checkout, Lenovo crafted its solutions for effortless deployment and long-term operational performance. AI-enabled edge computing further enhances checkout environments by identifying abnormal self-checkout behaviour in real time. These solutions offer actionable insights to reduce shrinkage without compromising the shopping experience, protecting both profitability and reputation.  

To foster agility, Lenovo’s TruScale pay-as-you-go model provides scalable access to advanced AI and IT capabilities without significant upfront capital investment. It is combined with hybrid AI infrastructure to optimise performance across back offices, storefronts, and warehouses.

“We consolidate Lenovo’s comprehensive IT portfolio—including PCs, infrastructure, industry-specific solutions, and services—into a unified, end-to-end offering that empowers businesses in this AI-first era,” said Walker Wong, Asia Pacific Head of Sales, Lenovo Retail Solutions.

Wong added, “Our approach delivers outcome-driven solutions across the entire technology lifecycle, encompassing Advisory, Implementation, and Managed Services,” supported by flexible as-a-Service models.

Furthermore, Lenovo provides end-to-end AI services such as AI Discover workshops and AI Fast Start initiatives, where retailers can identify opportunities and demonstrate results within 90 days.

With AI Managed Services, Lenovo oversees AI workloads and agents across hybrid environments. Wong emphasised that this structured approach ensures AI delivers measurable improvements rather than theoretical potential.

Advancing manufacturing toward Industry 5.0

Lenovo’s AI-first vision extends beyond retail into manufacturing. The company draws on decades of experience in advancing the Industry 5.0 paradigm, where human creativity and AI-driven intelligence work together.

“Lenovo’s suite of end-to-end manufacturing solutions is uniquely designed to help businesses navigate this transformation and optimise their operations,” Luk said.

Lenovo Manufacturing Solutions include the Warehouse Execution System, which delivers real-time operational visibility and improves efficiency by more than 10%. Similarly, there are Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems that double inventory efficiency whilst achieving return on investment within three years. 

Lenovo also boasts Pick Assist Autonomous Mobile Robots, which streamline fulfilment processes and reduce labour costs by up to 80%; and Automated Guided Forklifts that improve transfer efficiency by 30%.

These solutions are supported by flexible payment models and allow manufacturers to innovate without disrupting existing operations.

“Through our Lenovo Powers Lenovo initiative, we have successfully leveraged AI to achieve a 60% acceleration in supply chain decision-making and a 24% increase in production line capacity utilisation,” Luk said, highlighting the company’s success in AI transformation.

With its practical expertise, Lenovo continues to identify realistic solutions and help retailers and manufacturers integrate AI responsibly. It empowers organisations to modernise with confidence as they navigate an AI-first era.

To know more about Lenovo Retail Solutions, visit them at https://www.lenovo.com/sg/en/solutions/industry/retail/.

To know more about Lenovo Manufacturing Solutions, visit them at https://www.lenovo.com/sg/en/solutions/industry/manufacturing/.